Last night, the Bucks offense completely shut down when it mattered the most. Taking on the Warriors without Stephen Curry, the Wisconsin side had the opportunity to grab a road win. But Jimmy Butler & Co. made sure it wasn’t very easy. Especially, in the late end of the second half, with the victory only at touching distance, the Milwaukee side couldn’t move the needle. In reaction, Kyle Kuzma didn’t mince words, criticizing his franchise leaders. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard stepped up with a solution.
In the last 5 minutes, the Bucks could only score 2 points. On the other hand, the Dubs slipped away with a comfortable win. The team offensive leaders, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame, took the responsibility. Clearly, it didn’t work. Despite both stars running up the lane, Draymond Green & his defensive units completely strangled their offense.
Strangely, the Bucks didn’t explore their options. Notably, 6 ‘9 Kyle Kuzma, who has built his skills around the rim, didn’t get anywhere near the bucket. The 29-year-old finished the game with 22 points, out of which 15 of them came from the three-point line. Picking that up, Damian Lillard issued a new game plan for the future.
Speaking to the reporters after the game, he said, “We got to find ways to put him (Kuzma) in position to do what he does well, you know, he is an attacker downhill, gets in the paint. He’s a good playmaker.” Well, it was too late to realize. Anyway, the team has the playoffs in front of them. Moreover, Lillard further sent a message to the rest of the fold, saying, “He’s a guy we want to advance the ball to and let him attack downhill… You want to give him those opportunities… to be a playmaker… we got to be better.” That was a helpless cry. Importantly, it came right after Kuzma didn’t hesitate to call out Dame and Giannis.
Kuzma called out Damian Lillard & Giannis after their offensive failure
After yesterday’s loss, Steve Kerr referred to Draymond Green as the “best defender” he had ever seen. It wasn’t just out of the blue. DrayMagic did something unimaginable last night, restricting Giannis to just 5 field goals. On the other hand, he cramped up Dame, leaving him no option other than passing the ball.
And with all this, Kyle Kuzma wasn’t impressed. During his interaction with the reporters, he didn’t shy away from criticizing the stars for making the offensive punch. He said, “We just didn’t connect, you know, missed a couple of bunnies. He (Giannis) missed a couple of bunnies, Dame missed a couple of bunnies. Shots that they typically always make, so you just going to live with it.”
Mar 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks wore a small patch to honor former player Junior Bridgeman who passed away this week. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Anyway, with over a month left for the playoffs, the Bucks have enough time to chart out plays for Kuzma and improve their offensive attack. Moreover, Giannis, who was upset with the loss, took a resolution during his interaction with the reporters. He promised to get his aggressive game into action and take charge.
While Dame wanted to include Kuzma in the paint buckets, Greek Freak wished to take it over all by himself. Will these contrasting views help the Bucks’ run? Let us know in the comments below.
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