The Milwaukee Bucks have been a poor rebounding team this season, as opponents have feasted on the offensive glass against them. That was incredibly apparent against the Indiana Pacers, where the Bucks allowed them to haul in an astounding 14 offensive rebounds. Milwaukee got a huge win due to Giannis Antetokounmpo's heroics, but they need to clean up this issue if they want to be contenders.
Bucks must keep opponents off the offensive glass
The Pacers, as undermanned as they were, kept this game close until the very end. It took a Giannis game-winner to beat them, and it was largely because Indiana had so many offensive boards, which then led to second-chance points. Indiana had 20 second-chance points, capitalizing on just how vulnerable the Bucks looked on the glass all night long.
This performance cannot be written off as a blip, either, considering something similar happened in the previous game. Against the Sacramento Kings, the Bucks gave up 11 offensive rebounds, which led to 16 second-chance points. Unlike the Pacers matchup, Milwaukee did end up paying the price and losing that game. If this trend keeps up, they will lose more.
Outside of pleading to everyone that they must put more effort into boxing out, there is no clear fix here for Milwaukee. Giannis and Myles Turner are doing their part to keep opponents off the glass, but they cannot do it alone. With Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, and Gary Trent Jr. all starting, the team is undersized at times, making it easier for opponents, but a lineup change would be shocking.
One player who could make a world of difference here is Bobby Portis. By all accounts, the big man has had a down year, and his rebounding has played a part in that. He's averaging just 5.8 per game this season, his fewest since 2019-20, and that will go down after a two board performance versus the Pacers. Once known as a tenacious rebounder, Portis has been anything but that this year.
Following the 117-115 win over Indiana, the Bucks are now 5-2. Even before the win, they were the top-ranked team in the East in NBA.com's latest power rankings. The team is clearly putting some good things on film, but the second-chance points are becoming hard to ignore. If they don't clean things up, opposing teams will continue to exploit it, and they might not get away with it.
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