Bucks' Doc Rivers makes 'drinking' quip after NBA Cup win in Vegas

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Discipline is one of the most important elements of winning, just ask Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers. He explained after the Bucks NBA Cup championship win about how his team endured Las Vegas.

“Playing together. Going in at night – not drinking,” Rivers said, laughing via Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I just had to say that. It’s true.”

Although Las Vegas is known for its party scene, Milwaukee made it known that’s not what they’re going to do. Following a rough 2-8 start to the season, they were riding a hot streak. They defeated every opponent leading up to the NBA Cup championship game. The Bucks were squaring off against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top team in the Western Conference and the top defensive team in the league.

Rivers even took Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham’s advice and didn’t enjoy champagne after the game. While the championship trophy would be nice, it seemed to be more about playing for pride than anything else. Following that abysmal start, the Bucks turned it around. They’re sitting at the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. The playoffs don’t start until April, but establishing that consistency in the beginning phases of the season is crucial.

Doc Rivers had the Bucks riding high during the NBA Cup

Once tournament play started, it was a completely different team. The chemistry was there, the two-man game between Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo was there. Overall, they looked like a different team than they were even in November. Their mentality was what truly shifted during the tournament. Rivers even issued a serious message to the Bucks after their quarterfinals win.

That approach translated over to the semifinals and, ultimately, the championship game. Despite playing the Thunder, they made quick work of them. The 97-81 victory was very lopsided and a defensively focused one, too. Still, the Bucks have seen the tournament as an opportunity to find their true identity. It seems that they’ve found that.

Considering the timing of the NBA Cup, it might be hard for Milwaukee to sustain this momentum for the final three to four months of the season. Regardless, a championship mentality is one that Rivers and Giannis Antetokounmpo both know. After all, both are NBA champions and know what it takes to get to that place.

However, there’s much of the season left, and it could put a giant target on their backs. It wouldn’t be the first time that the Bucks have endured some type of adversity through the season.

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