Spurs teach young Bucks a lesson to stay unbeaten on road
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated the Spurs tied the NBA record for most consecutive road wins to begin a season. They are tied for the second-longest road win streak.
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MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks will ultimately get to a point where a double-digit, second-half lead will be enough to net them a victory, no questions asked.
But they’re not there yet as evidenced by the San Antonio Spurs’ furious rally and eventual 97-96 win, cemented when Bucks forward Mirza Teletovic missed a wide-open three-pointer off a frenzied final possession.
The Bucks blew a 15-point second-half lead as the Spurs won their 12th consecutive road game to open the season. Only two others teams in NBA history, including last year’s record-setting Golden State Warriors that won their first 14 road games, have accomplished that feat.
The Bucks’ four-game winning streak was snapped.
"You can also grow from losing, too," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "Going through the experience of a close game you can learn from your mistakes."
The Bucks are a team on the rise; even Spurs coach Gregg Popovich alluded to it. But they’re still a susceptible young squad, one that’s prone to dubious shots in crunch time.
They’re still, in all likelihood, a playoff team, too, but these losses against the NBA’s elite are learning moments.
"They’re pretty much the blueprint of every team," said Jabari Parker, who finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. "They’ve been a championship organization throughout the whole decade and they just have habits and philosophies that every team wants to be. We’re going to try to learn from them."
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, named Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier Monday, had 22 points and 11 boards for the Bucks.
Spurs guard Kawhi Leonard, who was held in check most of the first half, finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, and LaMarcus Aldridge had in 18 points and nine rebounds. Pau Gasol added 15 points and nine rebounds. The Spurs pounded the paint in the second half, beating a longer, more athletic squad in the process.
"We had to decide whether we wanted this game bad enough or if we wanted to let it get away from us," Gasol said.
Leonard scored 16 of his points in the fourth quarter on an array of pull-ups, fastbreaks and fadeaways. The win was even more impressive considering Tony Parker left with an injury in the third.
Popovich sounded almost prophetic speaking about the Bucks’ extraordinary length ahead of Monday night’s game.
"Their length and athleticism is really remarkable," Popovich said. "Playing to the crowd would not be wise on our part. If we allow them to let us keep it on side, we might score 74."
For a while, it looked like that might be the case, but that was before the Spurs erased a 48-35 halftime deficit. Thanks to some awful Bucks interior defense — punctuated by three consecutive San Antonio dunks midway through the third — the Spurs scored 36 points, one more than they had the entire first half. The Bucks’ frustrations manifested in a third-quarter scuffle between the teams resulting in ejections for Bucks wing Michael Beasley and Spurs forward Davis Bertans.
The Spurs outscored the Bucks 44-34 in the paint, significant since Milwaukee entered Monday averaging the NBA’s second-most points in the paint (49.9).
The Bucks may be known for their defensive versatility given their towering frontcourt, but it was their offensive flexibility that was evident early Monday. Whether it was actual point guard Matthew Dellavedova initiating sets, point center Antetokounmpo dribbling through his legs or Parker facilitating, the Bucks kept the typically prepared Spurs guessing.
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Antetokounmpo has deservedly garnered national attention of late. He averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 3.7 steals as the Bucks went 3-0 over the last week.
But Parker has been quietly flying under the radar, averaging 18.6 points per game. If anyone has benefited from all the extra attention on the "Greek Freak," it’s Parker. He was active in the passing lanes and aggressive on his drives all evening.
The Bucks stymied the Spurs in the second quarter. San Antonio was 4-of-22 from the field and scored just two points over a stretch of eight minutes. The Bucks built a 13-point halftime lead, holding the Spurs to just nine points in the second quarter.
The combination of Antetokounmpo, Parker and John Henson forced the Spurs into numerous uncharacteristic shots as the Bucks swarmed the paint.
Follow Michael Singer on Twitter @msinger.