Bucks Coach Rivers Rips Team After Blowout Loss to Tanking Jazz

Milwaukee suffers embarrassing 32-point defeat despite having a strong shootaround earlier in the day.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 5:08am

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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was highly critical of his team's effort and performance following a 128-96 blowout loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday. The Bucks fell behind early and were down by as much as 37 points at one point, leading Rivers to lament their lack of "competitive spirit" and execution despite having a good shootaround earlier in the day. The loss dropped the Bucks to 28-41 on the season in what has been a disappointing campaign for the team.

Why it matters

The Bucks' loss to the tanking Jazz, who are already looking ahead to the offseason, is an embarrassing result that raises questions about the team's effort and focus as they struggle to stay in the playoff race. Rivers' strong criticism of the team's performance suggests deeper issues that need to be addressed.

The details

The Bucks had a lethargic start, allowing the Jazz to outscore them 30-19 in the first quarter. Milwaukee shot just 41% from the floor and was outrebounded 47-35, while also committing 28 turnovers that led to 28 Jazz points. Rivers said the Bucks' starting group "set the tone" with poor play, as players kept the ball instead of moving it as they had done well in shootaround earlier. Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out the game due to injury management, but his absence did not excuse the team's effort.

  • The Bucks lost to the Jazz 128-96 on Thursday, March 20, 2026.

The players

Doc Rivers

The head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, who strongly criticized his team's performance and effort following the blowout loss to the Utah Jazz.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The two-time MVP of the Milwaukee Bucks, who sat out the game against the Jazz due to injury management.

Ryan Rollins

A Milwaukee Bucks player who led the team with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in the loss.

Cam Thomas

A Milwaukee Bucks player who scored 14 points off the bench in the loss to the Jazz.

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What they’re saying

“We played awful. Didn't play with any competitive spirit tonight.”

— Doc Rivers, Head Coach, Milwaukee Bucks

“I thought the first group set the tone. I thought the first group came in, and everyone in that group was trying to score. It's so funny, we had a great shootaround today where the ball was moving. Everything was second action. First six times, the guy who was supposed to go (to the second action) kept it. But at the end of the day, that's on me to get them to play right.”

— Doc Rivers, Head Coach, Milwaukee Bucks

What’s next

The Bucks will look to bounce back from this embarrassing loss when they take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, March 22nd.

The takeaway

This blowout defeat to the tanking Jazz raises serious questions about the Bucks' effort, focus, and ability to compete at a high level as they struggle to stay in the playoff race. Coach Rivers' strong criticism suggests deeper issues that the team needs to address in order to turn their season around.