Doc Rivers won his 1,099th regular-season game to move into ninth place on the NBA’s all-time chart, Damian Lillard scored 26 points in his return from a two-game knee layoff, and the Milwaukee Bucks cruised past short-handed Charlotte 120-84 on Friday night, sending the Hornets to their 10th consecutive loss.
Milwaukee improved to 2-5 under Rivers, who replaced Adrian Griffin, with Malik Beasley making seven 3-pointers on nine attempts and finishing with 21 points. Rivers surpassed Larry Brown for regular-season victories.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 15 points and 15 rebounds in just 24 minutes, while Bobby Portis contributed 18 points and seven rebounds.
At halftime, the Bucks led by 28 points and extended their lead to 42 in the second half.
Lillard had missed the previous two games, both losses, due to a sprained left ankle, but he displayed no symptoms Friday and said he felt fine. He went 9 for 18 and had eight assists in 29 minutes, but he was most impressed with the Bucks’ defense.
“We were just more physical,” Lillard stated. “Doc simply challenged us. He compared what we said we wanted to do to what we had been doing. To be considered a competitor and achieve our goals, we must first act like it.
The Bucks held Charlotte to 17 points in the first quarter, and the Hornets shot only 34.2% (27 of 79) overall.
“I thought we set a defensive tone,” Rivers said. “Tonight, we flew about. We were energized. I didn’t see our guards being selected tonight. We just need to keep working at it.”
Brandon Miller and Nick Richards each scored 16 points for the Hornets (10-41), who had only 10 players available and utilized them all after completing several trades on Thursday.
It was Beasley’s 13th game this season with five or more 3-pointers, shattering Ray Allen’s franchise record established in 2001-02. Beasley struggled from three-point range against Minnesota on Thursday, finishing 0 for 9 in the Bucks’ blowout defeat.
“Last night, I knew going in I had a chance to break the record, and I put too much pressure on myself thinking about my shot,” said Beasley. “And tonight, I did the opposite.” “I concentrated on defense and avoided being screened.”
In the first half against the Hornets, Beasley went 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, helping the Bucks lead 66-38 at halftime. With less than a second remaining, Beasley nailed a three, giving the Bucks their largest lead of the half.
Milwaukee nailed 12 of 28 3-pointers in the half, with Beasley leading the way with 15 points, Portis with 13, Antetokounmpo with 12, and Lillard with 11.
The Bucks made 18 of 52 3-pointers (34.6%).
Veteran guard Patrick Beverley made his Bucks debut after being acquired in a trade with Philadelphia on Thursday. With 2:28 left in the first quarter, he entered to a loud ovation and drilled a 3-pointer from the corner on his first shot. In 12 minutes, he scored six points and assisted four times.
Beverley stated that it was crucial for him to play despite the fact that he had arrived roughly 10 hours earlier.
“I’m not gonna lie. “I didn’t want to meet the Denver Nuggets in my first game,” Beverley stated. “Okay, let me see what’s going on with Charlotte. Let me establish my regimen. I still have eight unpacked baggage at the hotel. “Just trying to learn on the go.”
Rivers and Beverley have a good friendship from their time with the Clippers in Los Angeles, and Beverley said being reunited after the trade on Thursday meant a lot.
“He’s just positive energy,” Rivers stated. “He holds his teammates and himself accountable, and he only wants to win. I believe our lads notice this.”
Beverley was added to assist the Bucks’ perimeter defense, which has struggled to contain opposing guards this season.
The Hornets were depleted despite making several trade deadline transactions, including acquiring Seth Curry and Grant Williams from Dallas on Thursday. Curry and Williams were slated to join the team in Charlotte, where the Hornets play Memphis on Saturday night.
