Bucks forward Bobby Portis criticized coach Adrian Griffin’s handling of the team’s late-game offense in the locker room after Milwaukee’s loss to the Pacers in the semifinals of the NBA in-season tournament on Thursday, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT reports.
Griffin, a first-time head coach, began his remarks to his team after the game by emphasizing the importance of rebounding. That’s when Portis “quickly interjected and stressed how essential it is for Griffin to structure the offense down the stretch of games,” Haynes reports.
“Griffin welcomed the criticism and acknowledged he could do a better job being more aggressive with his play-calling,” Haynes added.
Candice Ward/USA Today Sports
Indiana outscored Milwaukee 37–25 in the fourth quarter of the 128–119 game. The Bucks shot 36% from the field as a team in the final quarter, compared to 47.9% in the first three quarters. They also had five turnovers in the fourth after recording just seven in the first 36 minutes.
The loss denied the Bucks a trip to Saturday’s in-season tournament championship game, in which the Pacers will face the Lakers. Every player on the winning team will receive $500,000.
