Inability to ‘seal the deal’ hurting
Close games have posed problems
One glaring weakness for the Milwaukee Bucks was painfully apparent in the team’s narrow road loss to Washington on Monday night. This team needs a closer. When the call goes to the bullpen, the Bucks need an Aroldis Chapman. Rollie Fingers would be nice. How about Mariano Rivera?
They need someone to “seal the deal,” as forward Jabari Parker put it after the Bucks’ 107-102 loss to the Wizards. The Bucks squandered a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against a team they had routed by 27 points Friday in Milwaukee.
These blown leads could come back to cost Milwaukee a playoff spot in April, given the tight Eastern Con-
ference race with the 4-12 spots currently separated by just three games.
Khris Middleton served in a closer role for the Bucks with some clutch late-game shooting two years ago when Milwaukee reached the playoffs. It was something he had to learn after some late-game struggles of his own.
Middleton remains out after hamstring surgery in September and could return by mid-February if he has no setbacks in his recovery. But in the meantime, the Bucks have tried Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo in late-game situations. Antetokounmpo missed a shot to win in regulation in Dallas and the Bucks eventually lost in overtime. Parker’s shot spun in and finally out against Cleveland last week, setting the stage for LeBron James’ go-ahead threepointer in an overtime loss to the Cavaliers. And Parker had a chance to tie that game a few moments later at the foul line but missed two free throws.
Mirza Teletovic had an open three-pointer at the buzzer but missed it in a 97-96 loss to San Antonio, after the Bucks blew a 15point second-half lead.
And the Bucks had a 20-point halftime lead against Atlanta in a home game earlier this month only to lose, 114-110.
Tony Snell had a chance to tie Monday’s game and the Bucks executed the play to get him a potential tying threepointer from the corner in the final 10 seconds. He missed.
But the Bucks were in that position because their defense faltered guarding the Wizards’ three-point shooters and their offense became tentative.
Parker said the Bucks played “afraid” and “panicked” down the stretch after building a 96-86 lead.
The Bucks have lost seven games that were within five points or went to overtime, including the overtime losses to the Mavericks and Cavaliers. Milwaukee is 0-2 in overtime and just 3-7 in games decided by five points or fewer or that went to an extra period.
So what can the Bucks do to change this picture?
“Different things work in different games,” Bucks center Greg Monroe said. “When it gets down to crunch time, whatever is working for us that night, we have to continue to milk it until they stop it.
“Then if they do, find something else.”
The Wizards turned up their defensive pressure Monday and the Bucks used most of the shot clock several times while pounding the dribble and trying to find a good shot.
“We tend to as a team to put the ball on the floor,” Monroe said. “We just have to continue to move the ball. And the same way they turn up their pressure, we have to lock in on defense and turn up our intensity and pay even more attention to detail.”
Snell was lamenting missing a defensive assignment late in the game.
“I know on one possession I kind of messed up,” Snell said. “That’s me and that’s everybody else. I’ve got to do a better job of that.”
It also helps to have someone to hit those lategame shots. The Bucks have improved their three-point shooting but still lack an absolute go-to threat from the perimeter.
“We feel pretty good that we’re competing and we’re really close to winning,” Snell said. “We’ve just got to capitalize and finish it off.”
Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon said the lack of late-game bite has been frustrating.
On Monday the Bucks focused on limiting John Wall and Bradley Beal, but forward Otto Porter got loose for 32 points and also grabbed 13 rebounds. Porter hit the biggest shot of the game, a threepointer with 49 seconds left to give the Wizards a 104-100 lead.
“He’s versatile, but at the same time I think we haven’t respected him, both games,” Brogdon said of the back-to-back set with Washington.
“I think we need to show him more respect when we play them again. He has hurt us two times now.”
One of these nights the Bucks will make a buzzerbeating shot or preserve a victory with a late-game block or steal.
When they do, it should release the pressure building up over their failures in last-minute situations.
“It’s a recurring theme for us; I think it’s our biggest problem right now,” Brogdon said. “I thought (Monday) would have been huge, especially going into a four-game stretch on the road.
“But we have to go to Detroit and get the next one.”
The Bucks (14-15) continue their four-game swing against Detroit in their last appearance at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday. Then they play the Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Friday and Chicago at the United Center on New Year’s Eve.