Doc Rivers: Bucks blaming everyone but themselves

Bucks coach Doc Rivers did not shy away from the state of his team following Milwaukee’s 45-point loss to Brooklyn on Sunday.

“That was disappointing, probably one of the more disappointing games I’ve ever been involved in with the way we performed and competed,” Rivers said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And we wanted to blame everybody but ourselves. We’re blaming the refs. We’re looking at each other. No one wanted to play hard. We got a lot of soul-searching to do.”

The loss came just days after Milwaukee had talked about building momentum following a win over Boston, only to follow it with one of its poorest efforts of the season. The Bucks are now barely holding on to the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot, and frustration appears to be mounting internally.

Rivers’ comments suggested the issues extend beyond execution, pointing instead to accountability and effort. For a veteran roster with postseason expectations, that is a concerning place to be.

Milwaukee (11-16) has little margin for error as the schedule tightens, and Rivers made it clear that the solution starts internally. Whether the Bucks respond remains to be seen.