Milwaukee Bucks Grades and Reactions To 11-104 Loss To Sacramento Kings

Reactions: The Bad

• This time it’s fair to whine about officiating. Particularly in the fourth quarter. After allowing a physical brand of play for the first three quarters the refs called the game much tighter in the fourth, leading to 11 Bucks fouls. The fouls were bad enough, but missing this obvious travel on Willie Cauley-Stein is on another level of frustrating. Oh well, that’s the nature of the beast in the NBA.

• The Bucks couldn’t rebound at all. They were out-rebounded 53-37, allowed 18 offensive rebounds, and gave up 19 second chance points. Most alarming was the Bucks offensive rebound percentage allowed to the Kings in the first half: 42.9 percent. So when fans ask how the Bucks can shoot 50 percent, score 54 points in the paint, collect 27 assists, and still lose they only have to look at rebounding for an answer.

• Three-point defense. The bane of the Milwaukee Bucks existence. After three and a half quarters of solid three-point defense they gave up a crippling trio of threes to the Kings late in the game. Sometimes it feels like teams are just toying with the Bucks–using them to practice their inside the arc half-court sets before unleashing a game-clinching barrage of threes.

• Rajon Rondo made all four of his three-pointers. He’s a career 28% three point shooter. That’s just how it goes for the Bucks.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks Grades: Starters