Time is running out quickly for the 76ers and Bucks, who look more like pretenders than contenders

Star players issuing ominous warnings on one side, team meetings on the other.

Critical vets being counted on to hit the floor running on one side, MVPs being unreliable on the other.

A coach being fined for criticizing refs after they missed game-turning calls in Milwaukee, a player putting his hands on a media member in the locker room in Philadelphia.

It’s really difficult to be out of the play-in tournament mix in the Eastern Conference, but the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are making it look really easy in the opening month of the NBA season.

Both teams were expected to challenge the Boston Celtics, but instead of dominating an underwhelming conference, they’re bringing up the rear — with a combined 7-20 record.

The Bucks escaped Monday by the skin of their chinny-chin-chin when Houston’s Alperen Şengün couldn’t catch a pass cleanly after Giannis Antetokounmpo left him wide open underneath the rim, and time ran out to give the Bucks a win they felt good about only because they were so desperate.

Sengun might’ve been spooked because Antetokounmpo blocked his high-arching floater on the previous possession, which led to Damian Lillard splitting the defense for an acrobatic layup that gave the Bucks the lead with 3.9 seconds left.

That was supposed to be the formula for Bucks wins this season — and last season, if we’re being honest. Antetokounmpo making these game-saving, do-it-all plays and Lillard using his veteran know-how and big-game experience to push the Bucks over the top when it counts.

It hasn’t been the case this year, at least not yet. Lillard missed time with a concussion and Monday was his return, while Khris Middleton is still recovering from double ankle surgery. The Bucks can only wish for the type of issues that led to them firing Adrian Griffin after a 30-13 mark, because at least the firing was tied to a lot of the processes and not necessarily a gaudy record.

They haven’t gotten old overnight, but the margins get slimmer and slimmer when you look around. Brook Lopez, who seems to have had four different careers at this point, is 36. Lillard is 34, Taurean Prince is…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/time-is-running-out-quickly-for-the-76ers-and-bucks-who-look-more-like-pretenders-than-contenders-184824972.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-19 18:48:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.