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Last night, the Bucks offense completely shut down when it mattered the most. Taking on the Warriors without Stephen Curry, the Wisconsin side had the opportunity to grab a road win. But Jimmy Butler & Co. made sure it wasn’t very easy. Especially, in the late end of the second half, with the victory only at touching distance, the Milwaukee side couldn’t move the needle. In reaction, Kyle Kuzma didn’t mince words, criticizing his franchise leaders. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard stepped up with a solution.

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In the last five minutes, the Bucks could only score 2 points. On the other hand, the Dubs slipped away with a comfortable win. The team offensive leaders, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame, took the responsibility. Clearly, it didn’t work. Despite both stars running up the lane, Draymond Green & his defensive units completely strangled their offense. 

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Strangely, the Bucks didn’t explore their options. Notably, 6’9″ Kyle Kuzma, who has built his skills around the rim, didn’t get anywhere near the bucket. The 29-year-old finished the game with 22 points, out of which 15 of them came from the three-point line. Picking that up, Damian Lillard issued a new game plan for the future.

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Speaking to the reporters after the game, he said, “We got to find ways to put him (Kuzma) in position to do what he does well, you know, he is an attacker downhill, gets in the paint. He’s a good playmaker.” Well, it was too late to realize. Anyway, the team has the playoffs in front of them.

Moreover, Lillard further sent a message to the rest of the fold, saying, “He’s a guy we want to advance the ball to and let him attack downhill… You want to give him those opportunities to be a playmaker we got to be better.” That was a helpless cry. Importantly, it came right after Kuzma didn’t hesitate to call out Dame and Giannis.

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Kuzma called out Damian Lillard & Giannis after their offensive failure

After yesterday’s loss, Steve Kerr referred to Draymond Green as the “best defender” he had ever seen. It wasn’t just out of the blue. DrayMagic did something unimaginable last night, restricting Giannis to just 5 field goals. On the other hand, he cramped up Dame, leaving him no option other than passing the ball. 

And with all this, Kyle Kuzma wasn’t impressed. During his interaction with the reporters, he didn’t shy away from criticizing the stars for making the offensive punch. He said, “We just didn’t connect, you know, missed a couple of bunnies. He (Giannis) missed a couple of bunnies, Dame missed a couple of bunnies. Shots that they typically always make, so you just going to live with it.”

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Anyway, with over a month left for the playoffs, the Bucks have enough time to chart out plays for Kuzma and improve their offensive attack. Moreover, Giannis, who was upset with the loss, took a resolution during his interaction with the reporters. He promised to get his aggressive game into action and take charge. 

While Dame wanted to include Kuzma in the paint buckets, Greek Freak wished to take it over all by himself. Will these contrasting views help the Bucks’ run? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by

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Shahul Hameed

2,959 Articles

Shahul Hameed is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master's Degree in journalism from a distinguished institute, his journey into sports writing began during his college days, and since then, Shahul has been captivated not only by the remarkable consistency of Stephen Curry but also by the enduring legacy of LeBron James. He specializes in covering the live basketball action. When games aren’t on, beyond covering trade rumors and match reports, Shahul actively engages with fan bases, ensuring he is attuned to the ever-changing NBA landscape. His dedication to his craft finds an equal match in his admiration for the storytelling and cinematic brilliance of Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, and Wes Anderson.

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Jacob Gijy

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