Criticisms came aplenty when the Milwaukee Bucks struggled in the early part of coach Doc Rivers’ tenure. The Bucks have been drawing a lot of attention again, but this time for a good reason.
Milwaukee has strung up successive wins since going 3-7 in their first ten games under Rivers. The resurgence has been very noticeable across the league.
Clifford’s take on the Bucks
One of those who have taken notice of Milwaukee’s uprising is Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford, who believed that the Bucks are now revealing their true potential after going through a rough stretch.
“I would say they’re a veteran team with a ton of talent, and they’re in a place right now where they’re starting to feel good about themselves,” Clifford said prior to the Milwaukee-Charlotte match on Thursday night.
Based on what he saw in Milwaukee’s last four games, Clifford observed that the Bucks significantly improved despite the continued absence of Khris Middleton.
“Even without (Khris) Middleton. And they’re saying, let’s get this going. That’s what I see in a general sense from the way they played in Minnesota to the way they played Philadelphia to the way they played the other night (against us),” said Clifford.
A victim of Milwaukee’s resurgence
The Hornets have fallen prey to the Bucks’ uprising, as Milwaukee’s current four-game winning streak included two wins against Charlotte. The Bucks started the second half of the season with a 112-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and followed it up with a 119-98 victory over the Philadelphia Sixers.
A home-and-home set between Milwaukee and Charlotte came with the Bucks winning both contests. The Bucks dumped the Hornets on Tuesday night, 123-85, and won again on Thursday, 111-99.
The Bucks defeated the Hornets twice in three days, winning all four matches of their season series by an average of 29 points.
According to Clifford, Milwaukee is just playing with a lot of confidence right now.
“That’s when it’s fun when you’re running a team like that. When you’re involved with one of those veteran teams, and you know you’re good, it’s just a question of when do you want to get ready? To me, I watch them, well, they’re getting ready. Right now. And their confidence level is high,” Clifford said.
The four successive wins are the longest streak of victories under Rivers as the Bucks remain unbeaten since the All-Star streak. The Bucks are currently third in the Eastern Conference with a 39-21 slate.
More must-reads: