Bucks coach Adrian Griffin’s stern reminder to Milwaukee after securing Vegas trip

The Milwaukee Bucks are playing their best basketball of the season at exactly the right time. Adrian Griffin’s team is 10-2 in its last 12 games following Tuesday’s blowout 146-122 victory over the New York Knicks, a win that punched its ticket to the in-season tournament semifinals in Las Vegas.

Ahead of Thursday’s highly anticipated matchup with Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers, though, Griffin is already guarding against his team letting down in Sin City. How? By reminding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and company of the historic stakes that await them.

“We know it’s a business trip,” Griffin said after the game, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “We still have to win two games.”

Lillard expressed extreme confidence in the Bucks’ trajectory after taking down the Knicks. He and Antetokounmpo combined for 63 points on just 35 shots against the Knicks, just part of a team-wide offensive onslaught that also included red-hot 23-of-28 shooting from deep—not just 60.5% shooting, but the most three-pointers any team has made in a single game this season.

Milwaukee’s lackluster defense reared its head again on Tuesday, though, surrendering 41 points to Julius Randle as the Knicks racked up a 119.6 offensive rating, just below the Philadelphia 76ers’ second-ranked league-wide mark. Who owns the best offense in basketball? Haliburton’s Pacers, and it’s not particularly close. Their 123.6 offensive rating is nearly four points per 100 possessions better than Philly’s, more than the difference between the Sixers’ and 10th-ranked Boston Celtics’ number.

Expect the Bucks try and buckle down against Indiana, the NBA Cup and $500,000 worth of prize money per player on the line. With Griffin’s encouragement and those factors at play, maybe Milwaukee will finally play the type of title-worthy defense that’s been the hallmark of Antetokounmpo’s recent reign.