The Milwaukee Bucks recorded their best win under coach Doc Rivers on Monday against the LA Clippers. Milwaukee had to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury absence before tipoff.
The two-time MVP was questionable with an Achilles injury. He tried to push himself during the warmups but had no mobility. Milwaukee, on a five-game winning streak, went in shorthanded, going from favorites to underdogs just before tipoff.
The first three quarters seemingly had the Clippers playing like favorites as they were in control, taking a 15-point lead. However, Milwaukee stormed back in the fourth quarter to win the game 113-106. The Clippers were up 11 with one minute left in the third frame.
However, Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis ran circles around the Clippers' defense in the clutch. The former scored nine of his 41 points in the fourth, while Portis had 14 of his 28 points in that stretch. The Bucks tied the game with four minutes left and never looked back, as the Clippers couldn't get a field goal from the 5:02 to 1:41 mark.
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NBA Twitter didn't take too long to pile on the LA Clippers' misery after their fourth-quarter meltdown as one fan joked Ty Lue paid tribute to Doc Rivers' history of seeing his teams blow double-digit leads.
"Lue honored Doc Rivers by blowing a lead," wrote the fan.
More reactions followed:
Milwaukee Bucks turn the script around under Doc Rivers
One of the keys to the Bucks' win against the Clippers without Giannis Antetokounmpo was their defense, and they played as well as they could have on that end without their superstar.
Milwaukee has been the best defensive team since the All-Star break, and it played like one on Monday, holding Kawhi Leonard to only one fourth-quarter point and the Clippers' offense also including James Harden and Paul George to 106 points.
Kawhi had 16 points on 31.6% shooting all game. Meanwhile, George and Harden had efficient 29-point games, but it wasn't enough. Milwaukee did an excellent job of not letting any other player score in double digits.
It was one of the glaring weaknesses under former coach Adrian Griffin, which led to his firing and the Bucks signing Doc Rivers. After a rough start to his Bucks stint, the latter has seemingly flipped the script with six consecutive wins.
The Bucks's most impressive wins came against the then Western Conference leaders Minnesota Timberwolves, right after the All-Star break, and on Monday against the 39-20 Clippers, who have staked their claim among the legitimate contenders.
The Bucks have won six straight and improved to 41-21. Meanwhile, the Clippers dropped to 39-21.
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