It's no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks are a smaller team, and the Houston Rockets took advantage. In Sunday's contest between the two, the Rockets finished with an astounding 20 offensive boards. That just cannot happen to Milwaukee if they want to be successful. Plain and simple. That much was evident by Houston's 122-115 win in Milwaukee.
Rockets feasted on the offensive glass, stun Bucks late
The Rockets scored 18 incredibly frustrating second-chance points against Milwaukee. Far too often, the Bucks played great defense, forced a tough shot, and then couldn't secure the rebound, which led to another possession—and typically a basket—for Houston. It allowed the Rockets to claw their way out of a double-digit hole and secure a hard-earned, well-deserved victory.
It wasn't one person doing the damage for Houston, either. It helped that they had Steven Adams, one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA, secure five. Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun took home four apiece. Even Clint Capela, who didn't crack seven minutes of action in this one, tallied four of them. They used their size to their advantage constantly, and the Bucks had no answer.
The Bucks just aren't a big team, especially when Doc Rivers plays the starters together, and it starts with the wings. AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. are 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5. When bigger forwards, such as Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, are matched up against them inside on box outs, they often win that mismatch and generate more offensive opportunities.
It doesn't help when Milwaukee's bigger players cannot rebound. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner combined for 14, but everyone else was basically a no-show. Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, and Amir Coffey, all players 6-foot-7 and above, combined to grab three rebounds. Three. Cole Anthony, who is 6-foot-2, finished with five. That simply cannot happen.
Kuzma and Portis are two players who could be X-factors in helping the team overcome this problem. Kuzma has been far better on the glass this year than this game would make one think, to his credit, but he can still increase the aggressiveness. Meanwhile, Portis, who is struggling in many regards, is averaging just 5.7 boards per game, his fewest since 2019-20. These two must step up.
To be fair, not every team boasts the size that Houston does. There will be nights where the Bucks are not hindered by the opposition's rebounding as blatantly as they were in this game. Still, this is a flaw that, if the Milwaukee Bucks don't nip it in the bud, it could haunt them down the line. Next up, the Bucks will face the supersized Mavericks, who could pose a challenge in the same regard.
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