The Milwaukee Bucks turned it on on Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. They were dominant on the offensive end, scoring 119 points, but what’s even more commendable is their effort on defense. They held down the Sixers to just 98 points, en route to an impressive 21-point victory at the Wells Fargo Center.
At this point, there’s no denying that the Bucks are making significant strides under Doc Rivers’ watch.
Malik Beasley Sounds Off on Milwaukee Bucks’ Win Over Sixers
Rivers determined early on in his tenure that the team’s lack of communication on the defensive end is a major issue he will need to address. The former NBA champion coach has been working extremely hard to improve on this particular area, and it appears that the Bucks are now reaping the rewards.
Milwaukee sharpshooter Malik Beasley spoke out on his team’s defensive effort against Philly as he pointed out how their communication led to significant improvements on defense:
“Today was one of the first times we all were communicating on reds (switches),” Beasley said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “Sometimes we get mixed up thinking, ‘Should we stay with our own or switch?’ And we did a good job of that. And like I said, it comes down to communication.”
At one point in the third quarter, Beasley jumped out to contest a Tobias Harris attempt from beyond the arc. This forced Harris to shoot an airball, which resulted in the Bucks securing a rebound.
Beasley thought that they had forced a 24-second shot clock violation, which had him high-fiving Coach Doc on the sidelines. It was a total team effort in that possession, which according to Beasley, is a testament of how far they’ve come on the defensive end:
“It was multiple efforts,” Beasley explained. “I had gotten beat and then somebody else got beat, but I was there to get his back. And then I went out to (Harris). It was just great. It’s a good feeling to know that when you put in the work, you get the reward.
“In the beginning of the season, we would do that and then they’d get an offensive rebound or something like that, so it wouldn’t matter. But now, we’re looking good right and we’re continuing to move in the right direction.”
Despite the improvements, however, even Beasley will admit that the Bucks still have quite a ways to go before they reach their final form.
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