J.B. Bickerstaff | Cavs at Bucks Post Game | 1.24.2024

J.B. Bickerstaff | Cavs at Bucks Post Game | 1.24.2024

Uh I mean give give the Bucks credit um you know they played a really good basketball game tonight uh obviously they were you know really intentional um you know Giannis and Dame lert obviously set the tone form uh set the tone early uh they were going to be aggressive you

Know we picked up a couple early fouls on key guys um but you know give them credit um you know good part about is we get to do it again on Friday is there harest one it’s like it’s not a game where you played your best basketball

But you look at the fourth quarter three 44 left in a six minute ball game yeah I mean again our guys didn’t you know give in uh we had an opportunity um you know I thought to close the half also um where we got

Seven stops in a row U then we turned it over a couple times which gave them an opportunity to go out and get their break started uh so it’s not like we were you know out of this game by any means so uh again you know we’ll go back

Watch the film uh find the things that we did right um come back Friday and give it another shot specifically defensively what sticks out is something you want to make sure to execute better uh I think you know just how we guard individually and ISO situations uh and

How we help and support that guy I thought there was just a lot of space around giannis’s drives in particular um you know where he’s driving to his left and you know spinning back and the guy was on an island by himself so I think

We can do a better job of shrinking the floor uh making them play in traffic you know they they stress you obviously because of their ability to shoot the ball um but you know I think we can do a better job of supporting our teammates in ISO situations the way last week’s

Game the buck went plus the events in the last 36 hours or so Milwaukee I me were you expecting them kind of come out yeah again they are a prideful team you know there’s Champions over there in that locker room uh so we did expect their intensity to be lifted today um

And again give them credit they played well um and won Jo seemed like that small ball lineup towards the end of the third quarter really you guys made a nice run with that is that something that you can use going forward on Friday yeah I mean I think so it was you know

Again I just felt like we needed some sort of a spark um and you know playing George at the five with shooting and spacing all around him uh created some opportunities for us you know I think made them just a little bit hes hesitant offensively cuz they didn’t know you

Know where they wanted to attack and who they wanted to try to pick on uh so I thought it gave us an advantage um you know makes it tough obviously to rebound I thought that got us a couple times but uh you know again the guys scrapped they

Took the challenge and uh it gave us a great spark 40 points Off the Bench a couple good performances to George seemed like he was really good tonight yeah again I think he’s really you know found his Niche and how he fits here with this team um you know not just on

The offense and you know making shots I’ve been you know pleased with the way that he defends the challenges you know this the gutty plays that he makes um so I I think I think again you our bench has continued to kind of find their way

Um become a weapon for us and then just Tristan out Dam Jones going have to step up a little bit in short in a short bur tonight it seemed like he was pretty comfortable yeah I thought he did a good job uh you know I mean Damon can play

Basketball um you know he just has to get opportunity um you know I I thought that you know in that first half he did play well you know was going back into him in the second half but just thought you know again we tried to find a spark

And do something a little different uh with the smaller lineup uh but it was nothing that Daman did um on his own J you guys have been getting off to such fast starts during this stretch what changed tonight what was different I mean again like I said just you give

The Bucks credit um you know they came out with a purpose they came out with intent um you know and it felt like you know they were the aggressor they were the ones that were attacking um and you know it took us a little bit just to get

Our feet under us um but again just give them credit because they played well you said before the game um Tristan suspension was was a tough thing on the organization what made it so tough uh I mean just how much he means to all of us um

You know like he’s helped me and allowed me to be you know a better basketball coach um you know he’s got my back all the time it’s never a doubt um his teammates feel the same way about him um you know his Spirit when he’s in the

Game or on the bench you know is felt his leadership is felt um so you know it just one of those things that um you know it’s you know it’s the emotion and the human part of basketball um but it it just you know it’s difficult to deal

With did you feel like that was missing on the bench tonight and if so how do you replicate that uh I mean we definitely miss him and I can’t you know I’m not going to sit here um you know and tell or say that we didn’t but um

Again I I felt like our guys were in it even on the bench you know what I mean like you can hear them you can watch them how they celebrate one another um so again you never replace guys um but guys uh in absences have to figure out a

Way you know to fill a void um and you do it in your own way but um you know again I think it’s everybody just continuing to lift each other um you know and help lead their own way

Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke to the media following a 126-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on January 24, 2024.