With the Bucks playing their first regular season TNT game since 2002, Antetokounmpo delivered a career-high 33 points on 12-of-15 shooting despite Milwaukee falling 115-100 to the Cavaliers inside Quicken Loans Arena.
Advertisement
Lebron James spoke about the team’s struggles and their current mentality as the team lost their second straight game. Coach David Blatt jokingly tried to explain the situation.
Blatt navigated James’ temper tantrum brilliantly, as there was little to gain by berating his megastar player with whom his relationship has noticeably improved. Kyrie Irving (fractured left kneecap) and Iman Shumpert (right wrist surgery) have yet to play. Thompson’s relentless work on the glass in the Eastern Conference Finals was a big reason why the Cavs swept the Hawks a year ago. “But if there was any contact, it would be totally unintentional and if there (was) contact, I’m sure that’s why he made the judgment call that he did”. The Heat have won four of five during their seven-game homestand that wraps up with games against Philadelphia and NY. Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Atlanta 47 (Millsap 11), Cleveland 57 (Thompson 16). J.R. Smith pitched in 18 points going 7-12 from the field. The Bucks missed just six shots in the third quarter while Antetokounmpo, Monroe and Middleton combined for 22 of their 31 points to trim the deficit to 86-79 entering the fourth, but they were crushed in rebounding 43-22. Otherwise, he basically just gave up on the game and gave up a technical foul in the process. “He does his job as great as any coach can do in this league”, James said.
“I blew a (gasket), you know what that means?”
Blatt found a few humor in the situation. “There aren’t hockey subs in basketball, but I do make hockey assists”.
“He was frustrated, knew we weren’t playing right and thought we were playing hockey”. ‘What? Are you kidding me? I didn’t see that the last two games, and we need to toughen up – every aspect.
Budenholzer had no excuses for his team’s performance. They now have more circumstantial evidence that he is not a team player. Let’s just put it this way, good things happened for the Cavs when Delly was on the floor Saturday night. “That’s the task in front of us”.
Elsewhere, the Memphis Grizzlies and their four-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs following a 92-82 road loss. Small forward Thabo Sefolosha made his first start of the season after coming off the bench for 11 games.
Advertisement
CLEVELAND – If there’s one legitimate gripe worth mentioning through the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 9-3 start, it has been their inconsistency.
