The Golden State Warriors were blown out by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, falling 128-111 at Fiserv Forum in a game still not as close as that lopsided final score suggests. Here are three reactions to Golden State's ugly loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on the first leg of a road back-to-back.
Unacceptable effort and execution on defense
Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't immune to off nights, but the Warriors don't exactly have the raw size and length on the interior that occasionally gives him problems. Playing without Andrew Wiggins only made Golden State smaller on Tuesday, and the Bucks took advantage offensively from the opening tip whether Antetokounmpo was involved in the play or not.
Remember how Jordan Poole was mercilessly targeted by the opposition during certain segments of the Warriors' title run? Milwaukee put Poole under that postseason microscope again early, attacking him over and over in various screening situations.
Poole looked lost when the Bucks went to inverted pick-and-rolls for Antetokounmpo at the free throw line. He fell well behind the play when screened as a primary defender. Unsurprisingly, Poole had no chance against Bobby Portis on the block after the latter's quick slip of a ball screen forced Jonathan Kuminga to call for a switch.
There's only so much Poole can do against a huge, physical team like Milwaukee even when he plays the scheme and assignment perfectly. But he was regularly out of position early, making it even easier for the Bucks to exploit him however they wanted.
Similarly, Golden State doesn't have any answer—who does?—for Antetokounmpo when he snags a defensive rebound and gets an immediate head of steam racing the ball up the floor. But that's all the more reason why Steve Kerr's team must be committed to sprinting back on defense against Milwaukee, and Golden State didn't whether Giannis was on or off the floor.
Milwaukee shot a scorching 14-of-21 from the field in the first quarter, absolutely owning the paint by going after every size mismatch available and putting the ball in Antetokounmpo's hands at the top of the floor and the left block extended. The Warriors' lack of commitment to transition defense—often replaced by a commitment to complaining to the referees—only compounded those problems, and hardly went away over the game's remainder.
These possessions came shortly after intermission, when changing from offense to defense with speed and building a wall in front of Antetokounmpo was no doubt a focus of the coaching staff. You certainly couldn't tell, though.
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Frustrating as they were to watch, those widespread defensive issues weren't exactly unfamiliar. Golden State entered Tuesday's action with a sky-high 120.0 defensive rating on the road, per Cleaning the Glass, second-worst in the league behind the young, tanking San Antonio Spurs.
Poole was easily the Warriors' most damaging defender against the Bucks, but none of his teammates were truly up to the challenge put forth by Antetokounmpo and company. Wiggins' presence wouldn't have made the necessary difference, and neither would a friendlier whistle on the other end.
Golden State's energy, execution and overall effort defensively just wasn't good enough, and it showed on the scoreboard.
Warriors dared to shoot
Mike Budenzholer tweaked the Bucks' defense this season to combat his team's longtime penchant for surrendering hordes of threes. But Milwaukee went back to that well against the Warriors, fully comfortable letting the visitors' bigs and wings launch from deep or mid-range to crowd Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Poole as much as possible.
Look how much space Brook Lopez, stoking his early case for Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, afforded Kuminga on the baseline after he caught on a cross screen. Lopez barely moved until an initially confused Kuminga realized he was given a clean runway to the rim.
Kuminga's blend of strength and hang time netted him free throws here, a consequence of Milwaukee's strategy it was happy to accept.
Lopez is a mountain at the rim and Antetokounmpo might be an even more intimidating presence around the basket. It's not like the Warriors get to the line often, either; the Bucks had attempted 13 freebies to their zero midway through the second quarter.
Giannis was barely looking here when JaMychal Green finally decided to let fly on this fourth quarter triple.
The possession below is perfectly illustrative of how the Bucks' defensive approach rippled across the floor.
Golden State's off-ball screening actions and maze of weak side cuts doesn't work when help defenders are able to keep a foot in the paint, willing to cede an open catch-and-shoot three to multiple players.
Tuesday was never going to be the Warriors' night. But Milwaukee's defensive gambit certainly exacerbated the defending champions' offensive struggles, and could serve as a blueprint for future foes to follow against Golden State.
At least only one team employs a pair of game-changing rim-protectors like Lopez and Antetokounmpo.
Frustration boiled over
The Warriors entered this game with loads of momentum and optimism. Not only were they coming off a statement win over the league-leading Boston Celtics, but a handful of players and coaches–including Poole, Looney and the recently recalled Patrick Baldwin Jr.—all hail from Milwaukee.
What better way for Golden State to kick off its six-game road trip with another victory over a potential Finals foe, the friends and family of locals excitedly cheering on?
The Warriors never matched the Bucks' competitive edge and all-around physicality, but it was clear throughout Tuesday's contest just how frustrated they were by a seemingly inevitable result.
Poole picked up an early technical after complaining to officials for an and-1. Curry and Kerr earned technical fouls within seconds of each other a few minutes later, incensed by a non-call after Curry felt contact on a missed three-pointer. Draymond Green was never t'd up, but was angered enough by trash talk from the stands—rightfully so, perhaps—that he had a fan thrown out midway through the third quarter.
Andre Iguodala, obviously, wasn't even in uniform, but picked up a technical from the bench arguing for an offensive foul on Antetokounmpo. Kuminga was called for a defensive foul while battling Antetokounmpo on the block, quickly drawing Golden State's fifth and final technical early in the fourth quarter.
If there's any silver lining to Tuesday's game, it's that the Warriors were so palpably irritated by their performance. Here's hoping they turn all that negativity into motivation for Wednesday's back-to-back against the Indiana Pacers.
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