The Indiana Pacers easily took Game 1 of their first round series with the Milwaukee Bucks and this means huge adjustments for the latter, something Kyle Kuzma himself is looking forward to.
The Bucks won just one quarter (3rd) and then lost the other three by double digits. They lost by 19 points, 98-117.
The team was again hounded by their problems from the regular season. Slow start and ineffective starting unit.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with his 36 points and 12 rebounds. His co-starters, however, played terribly.
The four players – Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince, and Ryan Rollins – combined for just 12 points. Together they have a negative 70 plus/minus.
The bench played better but it did not matter that much in a blow out game. Kevin Porter Jr. had 12 points, Gary Trent Jr. had 14, while AJ Green contributed 15.
Kyle Kuzma says defense is what they need to fix
Kuzma recorded no stat in the game. He played close to 22 minutes and took just five shots.
Head coach Doc Rivers suggested that they should fix his touches in the next game.
For Kuzma, the main problem the team faces is their half court defense.
“Pick-and-roll,” he said post-game.
“I think the pick-and-roll really hurt us because a lot of times, whether it was [Miles] Turner getting shots, that was just putting us into rotations. I’m looking forward to our adjustments. I think we’ll have some pretty good ones.”
The Bucks and Pacers will take a two-day rest before resuming their first round battle on Tuesday.
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