The Milwaukee Bucks entered their match-up against the vaunted Phoenix Suns without two starters as Damian Lillard was nursing a sprained ankle while Brook Lopez was tending to the birth of his child. Late in the first quarter, All-Star wingman Khris Middleton also exited the game for good, suffering a sprained ankle when he landed on Suns forward Kevin Durant's foot while shooting a jumper.
Milwaukee could have easily told themselves it wasn't their night and succumbed to the star-studded Suns. However, they did just the opposite. The Bucks dug deep, relying on their gritty defense and unrelenting effort to keep them in the game. And though the Bucks eventually faltered, 114-106, Connaughton spoke about his team's resilience and refusal to make excuses despite missing key players.
Bucks DNA
For the Bucks, it's either a win or a loss; there aren't gray areas, especially when the endgame is an NBA championship. The nine-year pro credits the team's fierce mentality to the core leaders, Giannis, Khris, Brook, and even Jrue Holiday—the team's former lead guard, who was traded away in the offseason.
"We have guys that, when they go out there, they want to put their best foot forward, they want to win, and they'll do it for an entire 48 minutes," Connaughton, who had 12 points, six rebounds, and six assists, said.
"And I think that's part of the DNA, part of the culture that we have."
No moral victories
Connaughton added that his team won't feel sorry for themselves, nor will they feel good about hanging around with the powerhouse Suns, who got 32 points from Devin Booker, 28 points and ten rebounds from Durant, and 25 points and ten boards from Bradley Beal.
"We don't take moral victories, but that's the standard that our best players set. The standard Giannis has set, Khris has set, Dame, Brook, you know, Jrue Holiday when he was here, Bobby. The standard is competing. Competing isn't an option; competing is what we do, and we do it as consistently as we possibly can. Day in and day out," Pat shared.
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