SPORTS LINE
Doc Rivers is the oldest head coach the Milwaukee Bucks have ever seen coach its team.
Does that matter? Rivers has had the coaching job for merely two and a half months in the strangest chapter ever in Bucks history. Entering Friday’s key matchup, this past week had been the ugliest stretch of the season for the Milwaukee Bucks. With the Raptors washing the Bucks in the pace, athleticism and energy categories, Doc Rivers made an uncharacteristic second-half decision to play Andre Jackson Jr. The fans have been rooting for Jackson to get some playing time. The rookie hasn’t seen much time under Rivers. In 16 minutes against the Raptors, Jackson finished with four rebounds, three points, an assist, and a blocked shot. Jackson showed desire and why he needs minutes on a nightly basis. With Rivers, there’s been improvement in ball movement and defense, but Rivers’ record since taking over, just as Milwaukee’s schedule ramped up its degree of difficulty with the third toughest in the league, is pitiful, 15-17. The former coach, fired for God knows what was 30-7 when he was let go. What is in Bucs management’s mind? The Bucks are the same hot mess they were before, but with extremely talented players, high basketball IQ and strange energy but can’t seem to put all the pieces together for such a truly remarkable team. Sometimes they score 140 points. Sometimes their defense is nonexistent. They’re one of the great mysteries of the NBA season.
The Bucks aren’t going to go anywhere this year if they don’t allow themselves to be led by Rivers. But the Bucks and Rivers have not had any time to figure each other out on a deeper level, to test their trust in one another, and not surprisingly, then, there have been issues. With five regular season games to go, the Bucks need to get everyone on the floor and start playing like a team with legitimate NBA title aspirations. It would be nice to get the Big 3 on the floor together for these final few regular season games to build some chemistry.
The Milwaukee Brewers pounded the Seattle Mariners 12-4 on Sunday.
Contreras finished with four hits and five RBIs. He hit his first homer off Seattle starter Emerson Hancock (1-1) in the second inning and connected on his second two-run shot off third baseman Josh Rojas, who pitched the eighth. The Brewers had 14 hits. Colin Rea (2-0) went six innings and allowed seven hits, including RBI singles by Jorge Polanco and Rojas. Dominic Canzone hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Thyago Vieira, who picked up the save with three innings of relief. Up next for the Brewers Aaron Ashby, who missed the 2023 season after left shoulder surgery, makes his season debut for Milwaukee in the first road game of four against Cincinnati.
As expected by most, Purdue was crushed by UConn 75-60.
