Bucks demand patience after losing vs. Denver in Rivers’ debut

Before Doc Rivers’s 1^st match from the bench as manager of the Milwaukee Bucks in Denver, he was already talking about how crucial patience would be.

For the 1^st time in his 25-year coaching career, Doc is becoming head coach midseason, a challenge he admitted “he wouldn’t wish on anybody.” At the same time, Milwaukee is getting comfortable with an entirely different approach after 1^st-year manager Adrian Griffin was dismissed and Doc took his place.

Tough one. pic.twitter.com/MY7yYsBZxE

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 30, 2024

“It’s going to take a while,” Doc claimed before Monday’s 113-107 defeat against Denver.

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Nuggets spoiled Rivers’ Bucks coaching debut with a defeat, dropping him to 1-4 in his career in his 1^st match with a new organization.

Doc Rivers blows a double digit lead and loses to the Nuggets in his first game as the Bucks head coach. He’s already in playoff mode! pic.twitter.com/lU1CbZ9yNO

— JokićNuggs?? (@JokicNuggs) January 30, 2024

The most positive thing for Milwaukee was their defense as they limited the Nuggets to 113 points, forcing 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic to take 25 shots to notch 25 points. Despite that, the Serbian finished with a triple-double as he had 16 boards and 12 assists, while Jamal Murray finished with 35 points.