DENVER — During their recent five-game homestand, the Bucks built double-digit leads in the first half of each game. In four of the five, they let their opponent cut the lead down to single digits. The Bucks ended up winning all five games at home, but that is not how they want to execute with sizable leads. And after a few of those games, coach Mike Budenholzer lamented his team’s inability to maintain and grow leads.
There are a number of phrases that describe the act of giving away a large lead or just getting sloppy in that situation. Following Milwaukee’s sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round of their championship run, Giannis Antetokounmpo told the TNT broadcast team the Bucks were able to win Game 4 because “we didn’t want to play with our food.” Following the Bucks’ 123-92 victory over the Magic Monday, Bobby Portis revealed Budenholzer opts for a more literal and blunt description of such actions.
“Excuse my French,” Portis said, “But, like, he says, ‘Don’t fuck with the game.’”
Friday night, the Bucks had plenty of chances to do just that.
There were multiple instances when they could have let the Nuggets, playing without reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić for the fourth consecutive game because of his sprained right wrist, back into the game.
