Bucks' Doc Rivers backs Kyle Kuzma's high-octane energy without Giannis

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With 12 seconds to go in the first quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 135-127 win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, Kyle Kuzma buried a deep fadeaway 3-pointer from the left wing. Then, with three ticks left, he caught everyone by surprise, firing a floor-length pass from under the Bucks’ basket to Gary Trent, Jr. The ball went out of bounds off a 76er, leading to a buzzer-beating lay-in by Kuzma on the ensuing out-of-bounds play.

The sequence saw Kuzma score the Milwaukee Bucks’ final five points of the quarter. It also spotlighted the frenetic pace Kuzma, acquired by trade last week for Bucks stalwart Khris Middleton, has already brought in his first two games with Milwaukee.

“We want him to stay being an athlete,” coach Doc Rivers said after the Bucks’ win.

Rivers noted that Kuzma will take time learning the finer points of the team’s offensive and defensive schemes. For now, he’s largely acting on instinct and speeding up the Bucks’ attack. Kuzma played the entire first quarter, often initiating the offense with drives to the basket.

On one set, his dribble drive into the center of the lane drew Joel Embiid off of his man, Bucks center Brook Lopez. Lopez popped back behind the arc, where Kuzma hit him for one of his five assists.

“He just understands the game, you know,” said point guard Damian Lillard, who lit up the 76ers for 43 points on 8-for-15 shooting from 3-point range. “And he knows how to be effective and how to find his way.”

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out for the next week or longer with a left calf strain, the Bucks had to rely on others to make up for their superstar’s 12 rebounds a game. The 6-foot-10 Kuzma snared 8 boards, as did the smaller Lillard. They contributed to a 53-42 rebounding edge over the 76ers, who lost despite having their Big Three of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.

Kuzma was far from perfect. On some of his drives, he got out of control and turned it over. Once, he shook Embiid and had an open lane to the hoop, only to get rejected by the rim on a dunk attempt. After his hot shooting first quarter, he cooled significantly, ending at 5-for-13 from the field and just 1-for-6 from three-point range.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter in a game where the Bucks hit 24 three-pointers on 43.6% shooting from downtown. Kuzma’s aggressive, attacking style seemed to help open up the offense, a key reason the franchise brought him over.

“We played with good pace,” Lillard said. “The ball was moving. It was just a good flow to the game.”

Next up: a back-to-back at home Monday night against the Warriors.

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