The Milwaukee Bucks dropped yet another frustrating game on Monday night, losing 129-126 to a rebuilding Washington Wizards squad, and head coach Doc Rivers did not hold back afterward. But instead of a new explanation, fans heard something they’ve now grown used to: the same warning repeated.

“They had 18 more shots than us,” Rivers said postgame. “You know how hard it is to win a game when you spot a team 18 shots? I always tell people, ‘Just imagine saying: you get the first 18 shots and then we’ll start the game.’”

The frustration wasn’t new; in fact, Rivers delivered nearly the same message after Milwaukee’s 118-109 loss to the New York Knicks just days earlier.

“The bottom line is they had 13 more shots than us, they had eight more free throws,” Rivers said at the time. “We’re shooting well, shooting 52 percent. But it’s the turnovers, it’s the offensive rebounds, it’s the fouls. It’s a numbers game.”

Milwaukee isn’t losing because shots aren’t falling; they’re losing because they aren’t getting enough chances to take them.

The pattern is now undeniable. The Bucks have lost 13 games this season, and in eight of those losses, Giannis Antetokounmpo was on the court. Opponents have taken more shots than Milwaukee in six of those eight defeats with the superstar available.

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For a roster built around high-efficiency scoring, Giannis at the rim, Ryan Rollins on the perimeter, and strong secondary shooters, the math becomes brutally simple: the Bucks are winning accuracy battles but losing opportunity battles.

Turnovers, second-chance points allowed, and unnecessary fouling continue to haunt them.

Rivers summed it up plainly: “It’s a numbers game, and we have to win that game. Especially with Giannis, if we win that game, we’re going to win the game.”

As the losses stack and the messaging repeats, the real question now becomes: Is the problem recognition, or execution?

One thing is clear: the Bucks can't afford to hear this speech again.