Milwaukee Bucks

This article is part of a two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the biggest question facing each Eastern Conference team heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key matchups and strategic decisions.
<h3>Boston Celtics - Who&rsquo;s stopping them?</h3>
The Boston Celtics have been the best team in the regular season as evidenced by their 64-18 record. They have also been one of the most dominant regular season teams of all time, having the third-highest net rating in NBA history (11.8) which would rank just behind the 1996 and 1997 Chicago Bulls. If it were of any significance, those Bulls teams had 72-10 and 69-13 records and won it all in both years.
It&rsquo;s all written on the wall &ndash; the Celtics are in title or bust mode, which even just a conference finals appearance would probably be marked as a disappointment. Considering how dominant they have been throughout the season, a Finals appearance would be the minimum achievement.
This team is built almost as completely as they could ever be &mdash; offense, defense, bench, two stars that lift each other&rsquo;s game up, roster construction of players that complement them, and even the fans that are some of the most passionate in the league. These are things that are all you could ask for in a championship team, and with that being said &ndash; the pressure is on for Boston.
A big possible answer to that question is whether the Celtics would be the only ones who&rsquo;ll stop themselves from achieving and realizing their full potential &ndash; and there&rsquo;s only one way to find out.&nbsp;
The playoffs are a different story and looking at what we&rsquo;ve seen over the years, the Celtics have tendencies to underperform in the playoffs. With a new supporting cast featuring 2021 champ Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, a question lingers on the team: will it be different this time around?
They have had a history of flaming out in the past, and whether or not that continues this season remains to be seen. Time is the ultimate truth teller, and these Celtics hope to exercise their playoff demons when the time comes and their opportunities present themselves.
Will they be able to capitalize on a dominant regular season and take on the task at hand once and for all? They certainly hope with all the pieces they have now, they have enough to close it out and take it all the way and finish the job this time around to end the allegations against them once and for all.
<h3>New York Knicks - How far will they go without Julius Randle?</h3>
As we all know by now, health is the biggest factor in the playoffs. You always want to be complete and your best players to be healthy and ready to go when it matters most.
Unfortunately, this will not be the case for the New York Knicks this season, after losing all-star Julius Randle to a season-ending surgery to his injury.
Randle has been the Knicks&rsquo; best player for the past 3 seasons (before Brunson&rsquo;s ascension to King Knick this year). He brings that size and physicality along with that sneaky speed at the 4. On offense, Randle is a secondary creator and playmaker who can make plays for himself and his teammates. His improving three-point shot is now a weapon for teams not to sag off of him as much which could only help the Knicks in the playoffs.
Simply put, Randle is a matchup problem against traditional power forwards. Without him, the Knicks would not be able to tap on another gear that would only be possible with Randle out there on the floor.
Now, all eyes will be on Jalen Brunson as he tries to carry New York all by himself. It will be expected to see all possible defensive schemes thrown against him to try and contain the all-NBA caliber player in this season that he is.
<h3>Milwaukee Bucks - Can they hold the fort without Giannis?&nbsp;</h3>
The hits just keep on coming for the Bucks. After starting the season 30-13, they fired their head coach Adrian Griffin, and replaced him with Doc Rivers. They&rsquo;ve had their fair share of struggles with Rivers, losing to lottery teams like the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Raptors in one stretch, and they&rsquo;ve finished only a disappointing 19-20 the rest of the way to end the season.&nbsp;
Just recently, they received brutal news that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the beginning of their series against the Indiana Pacers after injuring his left calf with three games left in the regular season. The upstart and young Pacers have been 4-1 against them during the year and it will be a tough battle without one of the five best players in the world playing. Will Damian Lillard and Co. step up to the plate?
<h3>Cleveland Cavaliers - Is this the &lsquo;last hurrah&rsquo; for Donovan Mitchell as a Cavalier?</h3>
All eyes are on the Cavaliers&rsquo; playoff run this season to gain ground after a disappointing finish last year. Can they keep soon-to-be free agent Donovan Mitchell happy enough? Or will another disappointing playoff exit lead him to bolt out of town to find another opportunity to win elsewhere?&nbsp;
Much of this will be attributed to the growth of their current core to gauge their improvements from last season. Will Darius Garland have enough juice to handle the scoring load outside of Mitchell as well as holding his own defensively? Will Evan Mobley display or unlock another offensive level in his game to be able to contribute on the offensive end to complement his defensive capabilities? Will Jarett Allen beat the allegations of lights were too bright in the playoffs in his second time around and bounce back from what has been a bad series against the Knicks last year? And is Max Strus the answer for the Cavs to advance into the second round with his spacing and shooting at the wing to give space for Mitchell to attack?
With his impending free agency, Donovan Mitchell has a big decision to make during the offseason. Will he stay and extend with this Cavaliers team who gave up assets for him? The Cavaliers have made some strides from being a young team with potential to a top 4-5 team in the East when they acquired Donovan Mitchell two years ago from the Utah Jazz. Since then, Mitchell has elevated their play and in turn, they got back to their first playoffs without LeBron James on the team.
However, rumors have been swirling that Mitchell wants to achieve postseason success, whether in this team or not. Some of these reportedly said that if the Cavs do not make the Finals this season, he might find another home elsewhere to chase that goal. Throughout his career, Mitchell has been to the first round multiple times but has been in the second round just twice. He has yet to make a conference finals appearance, and this postseason with the Cavs will determine if he falls short of that goal again.
Helping Mitchell this time around are shooters that the Cavs lacked a year ago, with Max Strus, Sam Merill, and Georges Niang now in the fold for the team. Cleveland got exposed by New York in just five games last year and it was basically because of their inability to space the floor around Mitchell and point guard Darius Garland. Now with an improved Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all having a year to work on their games for this stretch, the Cavs aim to make the conference finals &mdash; before Mitchell&rsquo;s impending big decision in free agency.
<h3>Orlando Magic - How far can their youth and inexperience take them in the playoffs?</h3>
Being the youngest playoff team in the East's playoff field, the Magic come in with no expectations at hand. This young group has overachieved for the season having the fourth-best defense despite them being the 4th youngest team in the league. Making the playoffs has already been a huge accomplishment, but winning a series would not be so bad and would be a welcome sight for the team.&nbsp;
Nobody expected them to be in the hunt for the top seeds in the East, but here they are in their first playoff experience as a group as the fifth seed. This is only year 2 and 3 for young stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and they could only get better as years progress. This is only the beginning for Orlando and they could be a difficult fixture in the East for years to come.
<h3>Indiana Pacers - How big of an impact will Pascal Siakam be in the postseason?</h3>
Right after the trade to bring Siakam to Indiana, fans and basketball analysts alike mentioned how the trade was a win for Indiana and that Siakam&rsquo;s value would be seen through in the playoffs. When the game slows down and teams are more equipped and prepared for their defenses, teams would need solid execution on their half-court offense.
This was where Siakam was supposed to come in, and now that it&rsquo;s here, will he be able to step up and lead the Pacers to a series win? The 2019 champion with the Raptors has played 41 games with Indiana this season after the trade, and he has averaged 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 55/39/70 shooting splits and he has given the Pacers a new dimension on offense. The Pacers who will go up against the Bucks for their first-round playoff series, have gone 4-1 against them &ndash; but it was all without Siakam. The question for them now is, how will they maintain the level of success they had vs the Bucks now that Siakam is in the rotation? Will Siakam end up being the ceiling-raiser for the postseason for them? Or could he end up disrupting the rhythm that the team had in the regular season vs the Bucks?
<h3>Philadelphia - Is this finally the year they advance with Nick Nurse at the helm?</h3>
The Sixers have had a lot of heartbreak over the years, from not being able to make the Conference Finals in Joel Embiid&rsquo;s career to choking multiple times in the playoffs, it's just disaster after disaster when it matters the most in the City of Brotherly Love.
However, they hope the outcome is going to come out differently this year due to one factor: Nick Nurse.
The 2019 champion coach has given the Sixers a lot to hope for with a breath of fresh air surrounding the team on offensive and defensive execution. This year, with Embiid being better than ever (being even better than last year&rsquo;s MVP campaign) and with the help of Nurse&rsquo;s diverse offensive sets, the Sixers&rsquo; title chances have increased significantly. Coach Nurse having the ability to make adjustments on the fly and push the right buttons will be a major weapon for the Sixers for their upcoming playoff run.
When healthy this year, Embiid has had one of the most dominant regular seasons in NBA history, averaging 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. The Sixers have a 31-8 record when he plays, which would equal the best win-pace mark in the league. He now has a dynamic sidekick in Tyrese Maxey who has been named an all-star this year, and general manager Daryl Morey has surrounded them with capable role players to complement their skill sets. Will Nurse be the final piece that puts all of the Sixers together?
<h3>Miami Heat - Can they rediscover their old magic against the Celtics, but this time without Jimmy Butler?</h3>
At this point, people got to understand and realize that playoff Jimmy is a real thing. The dude just turns it up when it matters the most and the lights are at their brightest, and has carried Miami every time in the postseason.
However, this year figures out to be an entirely different scenario with Butler being out with an injury. According to reports, Butler could be sidelined for multiple weeks due to an MCL sprain &mdash; devastating news for Miami ahead of their upcoming playoff matchup vs Boston.&nbsp;
The Heat have faced the Celtics three times over the past four seasons, and they have beaten them twice. All those games and series featured a lot of Butler carrying them to wins.
Without Butler though, things have changed dramatically fast. Now, the question stands: will they have enough to defeat their old nemesis (who&rsquo;s become the most dominant team in the league) sans their best player?

As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges.

2024 Eastern Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question heading into the playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks&rsquo; Doc Rivers and Minnesota Timberwolves&rsquo; Chris Finch have been named the coaches for their respective conferences in the upcoming 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis.
Rivers and his staff will get to coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars as the Bucks have clinched the best record in the East through games played on Feb. 4 among the teams with a head coach eligible for the All-Star game.&nbsp;
The Boston Celtics technically have the best record in the East at 38-12, but head coach Joe Mazzulla will not be eligible to coach since he served as the head coach for the East All-Stars last season, paving the way for Rivers. He is set to coach his players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard with Milwaukee being the only team to have two All-Star starters.&nbsp;
The 62-year-old Rivers has been with the Bucks for just 3 games this season after the organization fired Adrian Griffin. He will coach the fourth All-Star Game of his career with stints in 2008, 2011 and 2021.
However, Rivers explicitly said in a postgame interview that he was stunned about the selection and that maybe he&rsquo;ll send his staff and go on a vacation. <a href="https://x.com/espn_macmahon/status/1753996204264833214?s=20">ESPN&rsquo;s Tim MacMahon also reported that Rivers &lsquo;plans&rsquo; to give Adrian Griffin his All-Star ring and bonus.</a> Griffin coached the Bucks earlier in the season and led them to a 30-14 record before getting fired.&nbsp;
Over in the West, Finch receives the honor to coach the Western Conference All-Stars after leading Minnesota to a West-leading 35-15 record.&nbsp;
The Timberwolves have clinched the best record in the West despite being tied with the Thunder standings-wise by tiebreakers. Minnesota has a superior conference record at 24-8 compared to OKC&rsquo;s 21-11 to give Finch and his staff the All-Star coaching nod for the first time in his career.&nbsp;
Finch, 54, will be Minnesota&rsquo;s first All-Star Game coach since Flip Saunders in 2004 and will coach two All-Stars as well in Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ Doc Rivers and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Chris Finch have been named the NBA's All-Star coaches.

Doc Rivers, Chris Finch named 2024 NBA All-Star Game head coaches

After firing Adrian Griffin, the Milwaukee Bucks have hired Doc Rivers as their next head coach.
"This was a difficult decision to make during the season," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. "We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team."
Although the Bucks have the NBA's top-ranked offense (scoring 118.8 points per 100 possessions), they struggled defensively under Griffin, allowing 114.3 points per 100 possessions (which ranks 19th in the NBA).
While the Bucks compiled a 30-13 record under Griffin, trailing only the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference (by 3.5 games), they have been largely inconsistent throughout the season. 
Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been lobbying for a better effort on defense, which seemed to be directed toward Griffin and his staff. 
Furthermore, Griffin wasn't able to utilize prized acquisition Damian Lillard to his full potential on offense, as the All-Star guard has had a hard time adjusting to Milwaukee&rsquo;s offensive scheme.
Rivers has an all-time coaching record of 1,097-763 in the regular season and 111-104 in the playoffs.
 Rivers' most-recent coaching gig was with the Philadelphia 76ers, but his three-year stint came to an end when he was fired following the 2022-23 season.

The Milwaukee Bucks have fired head coach Adrian Griffin, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon. Doc Rivers will replace him.

After firing Adrian Griffin, Bucks hire Doc Rivers as head coach

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; New Milwaukee Bucks coach Adrian Griffin&rsquo;s staff includes Sidney Dobner as the first female assistant coach in franchise history.
Dobner, who is entering her sixth season with the Bucks, is getting a promotion after working as head video coordinator this past season. Griffin also is keeping Vin Baker and Josh Oppenheimer, who had been assistants on former coach Mike Budenholzer&rsquo;s staff.
Baker and Oppenheimer are entering their seventh seasons as Bucks assistants. Baker was a four-time All-Star during his playing career.
The other assistant coaches on Griffin&rsquo;s staff are former Bucks head coaches Terry Stotts and Joe Prunty as well as Patrick Mutombo and DJ Bakker.
<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-bucks-new-coach-adrian-griffin-a32460866103e0004e36a0a8878d9207" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Griffin already had said</a>&nbsp;after his introductory news conference that his staff would include Stotts, whose&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/stottte99c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">head coaching resume</a>&nbsp;includes stints with Atlanta (2002-04), Milwaukee (2005-07) and Portland (2012-21).
Prunty was a Bucks assistant from 2014-18 and spent the last 37 games of the 2017-18 season as interim head coach following the&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/34df50dee81d427895985e1720b917e9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firing of Jason Kidd.</a>&nbsp;Prunty spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks. He won three championships as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs from 1996-2005.
Mutombo was a Phoenix Suns assistant last year after spending two seasons as head coach of Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors&rsquo; NBA G League affiliate. Mutombo and Griffin were assistants at Toronto in 2019 when the Raptors won the NBA title.
Bakker spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons&rsquo; NBA G League affiliate.
Mitchell was an assistant with the Raptors for the last two seasons. He was an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-21.
<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-adrian-griffin-769056191fa4144c6de394c5b902e78e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Griffin was hired</a>&nbsp;as the Bucks&rsquo; coach earlier this month after spending five seasons as an assistant in Toronto. He replaces Budenholzer, who led the 2020-21 Bucks to their&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-milwaukee-bucks-phoenix-suns-64e76fe1b9f0851dbcf46ad66d90d6de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first NBA title in half a century</a><a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-budenholzer-fired-e9ab56f83d317afd621adb7d7c244006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">but was fired</a>&nbsp;in May after a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-bucks-heat-giannis-antetokounmpo-budenholzer-5e7ea2d31a0e15e286d5f499b8247723" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stunning first-round playoff loss</a>&nbsp;to the Miami Heat.

New Milwaukee Bucks coach Adrian Griffin’s staff includes Sidney Dobner as the first female assistant coach in franchise history.

Griffin’s staff includes Sidney Dobner as Bucks’ 1st female assistant

The Toronto Raptors are in the process of finalizing a contract with Memphis assistant Darko Rajakovic to become the team&rsquo;s next coach, a person with knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
The team and Rajakovic entered into an agreement in principle for him to become the franchise&rsquo;s 10th head coach on Saturday, according to the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the final details are pending.
ESPN first reported Rajakovic&rsquo;s hiring.
The 44-year-old Rajakovic replaces Nick Nurse, who led Toronto to the 2019 NBA title and went 227-163 in his five seasons with the Raptors. The Raptors fired Nurse in April, shortly after a season in which Toronto went 41-41 and lost in the play-in tournament.
Rajakovic is Serbian and has been involved in coaching since his late teens. He&rsquo;s had summer league and consulting experience with the San Antonio Spurs, began coaching in the G League (then called the NBA Development League) in 2012, and spent the last nine seasons as an assistant with Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis.
&ldquo;Congrats and good luck to my good friend coach (at)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/DRajakovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DRajakovic</a>!,&rdquo; tweeted former Toronto assistant and Spanish national team coach Sergio Scariolo &mdash; who was also under consideration for the job. &ldquo;Good choice, it&rsquo;s great to see a european coach having an opportunity to prove his value as an NBA HC! A heartfelt thank you to the Raptors, receive this consideration from what has been my team was very meaningful!&rdquo;
Rajakovic&rsquo;s hiring means all 30 NBA coaching jobs are currently filled. There were six hirings since the end of the season: Ime Udoka in Houston, Nurse in Philadelphia, Monty Williams in Detroit, Adrian Griffin in Milwaukee, Frank Vogel in Phoenix &mdash; replacing Williams, and now Rajakovic.
Of the league&rsquo;s 30 teams, 19 have changed coaches at some point in the last two years.

The Raptors are in the process of finalizing a contract with Memphis assistant Darko Rajakovic to become the team’s next head coach.

Raptors finalizing hire of Darko Rajakovic as next head coach

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Adrian Griffin understands the responsibility that comes with taking over a title contender as a first-time head coach.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be real,&rdquo; Griffin said Tuesday during his introductory news conference as the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-adrian-griffin-769056191fa4144c6de394c5b902e78e">Milwaukee Bucks&rsquo; coach.</a>&nbsp;What first-time head coach gets to coach the Milwaukee Bucks, with all the special talent on this team? I&rsquo;m extremely humbled.&rdquo;
The Bucks went against the grain by selecting Griffin, who spent the last five seasons as an assistant with Toronto. He replaces Mike Budenholzer, who led Milwaukee to the league&rsquo;s best regular-season record but&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-budenholzer-fired-e9ab56f83d317afd621adb7d7c244006">got fired</a>&nbsp;after a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-bucks-heat-giannis-antetokounmpo-budenholzer-5e7ea2d31a0e15e286d5f499b8247723">first-round playoff loss</a>&nbsp;to Miami.
Six teams have made coaching changes since the end of the regular season. The Bucks are the lone team thus far to pick someone without head coaching experience.
The Philadelphia 76ers chose&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a">former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse,</a>&nbsp;the Houston Rockets selected&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/rockets-udoka-e24d2a5ccedef68bf86faee4ba2b5917">ex-Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka</a>, and the Detroit Pistons hired&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/monty-williams-nba-pistons-23b27fdbdb44eee0cf2f95737ae87803">former Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams.</a>&nbsp;Phoenix hired&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-coach-frank-vogel-booker-durant-af0addd381c9727751361b4aa4f2637d">Frank Vogel</a>&nbsp;for his fourth NBA coaching job. Toronto still hasn&rsquo;t filled its vacancy.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst said Griffin&rsquo;s background as an NBA player and assistant over the last two decades made him an ideal candidate. Horst cited a comment from his assistant general manager.
&ldquo;Milt Newton said throughout this process after we met with Adrian, &lsquo;Adrian&rsquo;s a head coach. He just hasn&rsquo;t gotten the opportunity yet,&rsquo;&rdquo; Horst recalled.
Griffin, who turns 49 on July 4, already is taking steps to address his lack of experience. He confirmed Tuesday that his staff will include&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/stottte99c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Terry Stotts,</a>&nbsp;who spent 13 seasons as an NBA head coach, including a two-year stint with Milwaukee from 2005-07.
&ldquo;To get a guy like Terry is a home run,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;He brings unbelievable experience.&rdquo;
Griffin was an undrafted swingman from Seton Hall who ended up playing&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/griffad01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eight seasons in the NBA</a>&nbsp;after toiling in lesser leagues. He has spent&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/griffad01c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">15 years as an NBA assistant</a>&nbsp;since the end of his playing career.
He now steps into a big opportunity with expectations to match.
The Bucks fired Budenholzer just two years after he led Milwaukee to its first NBA championship in half a century. The Bucks posted the NBA&rsquo;s top regular-season record in three of Budenholzer&rsquo;s five seasons but, with the exception of 2021, they&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-milwaukee-bucks-horst-budenholzer-aefb9f69a0d524eccbf8773e71dfd147">couldn&rsquo;t match that success in the playoffs.</a>
Griffin takes over a talent-laden roster led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Griffin spoke to Antetokounmpo before he was hired and said he felt like they connected and that they have similar values.
&ldquo;Yes, we have high expectations, but we&rsquo;re going to embrace them,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;But it starts by getting to work. Never lose sight of the work involved. I think going undrafted and going the minor league route, it taught me the value of hard work. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re going to build upon from day one.&rdquo;
Griffin was on Toronto&rsquo;s staff when the Raptors won the 2019 championship. One year later came a development that could have hindered his shot at becoming a head coach.
Griffin&rsquo;s ex-wife, Audrey Sterling, accused him in an August 2020 social media post of physically abusing her and failing to pay child support. Griffin filed a defamation suit a year later that was settled last September.
The initial complaint filed by Griffin included statements posted on social media by two of their children supporting him and denying their mother&rsquo;s allegations.
Griffin said Wednesday he couldn&rsquo;t get into the details of the litigation but noted that he &ldquo;absolutely denied&rdquo; his ex-wife&rsquo;s accusations and pointed out he was the one who filed the defamation lawsuit. Horst said the Bucks researched the issue and cited a review the Raptors had conducted in collaboration with the NBA.
&ldquo;It was clear and determined the accusations were just unfounded,&rdquo; Horst said. &ldquo;I can tell you beyond that, just the multiple conversations I&rsquo;ve had with Adrian and others had with him, in each case his comments were just really heartfelt and sincere. Ultimately, we believe him and believe in him, and the person of high character that he is. Everyone that we spoke to felt the same. It gave us a ton of excitement and confidence in making the hire, even though we were aware of those allegations.&rdquo;
Griffin now is back in the place where he began his coaching career.
After getting traded to Milwaukee in the summer of 2008, Griffin stayed with the Bucks throughout training camp before getting a call from coach Scott Skiles at the start of the season. Griffin hadn&rsquo;t made the team but got an offer to join Skiles&rsquo; staff.
Griffin has been coaching ever since. He now rejoins Horst, who was the Bucks&rsquo; director of basketball operations in 2008.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s funny how life works,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;Everything has come full circle.&rdquo;

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin discussed the responsibility that comes with taking over a title contender as a first-time head coach.

Bucks’ Adrian Griffin excited to begin head coaching career with contender

MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; The Milwaukee Bucks are finalizing a deal to make Adrian Griffin their head coach after he spent the last five seasons as a Toronto Raptors assistant, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Saturday because the deal was still being completed.
Griffin would replace Mike Budenholzer,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-budenholzer-fired-e9ab56f83d317afd621adb7d7c244006">who was fired</a>&nbsp;earlier this month after the top-seeded Bucks&rsquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/heat-bucks-antetokounmpo-butler-nba-playoffs-2023-77a194e9d9d8b18b266e21acbf206d84">stunning loss to the Miami Heat</a>&nbsp;in the first round of the playoffs.
Griffin had been an assistant on a Toronto staff headed by Nick Nurse,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">who was fired</a>&nbsp;last month after the end of the Raptors&rsquo; season. Griffin was an assistant on the Raptors&rsquo; 2019&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-ap-top-news-kawhi-leonard-ca-state-wire-sports-d8263b2484894c1dbed5eb98e152ff9c">NBA championship team</a>&nbsp;that beat the Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals.
ESPN and The Athletic first reported the Bucks&rsquo; selection of Griffin.
His hiring would enable Griffin to return to the place where he started his coaching career.
The 48-year-old was a Bucks assistant from 2008-10 when Scott Skiles was Milwaukee&rsquo;s head coach. Griffin began that first Milwaukee coaching stint after a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/griffad01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nine-year NBA playing career</a>&nbsp;that included stops with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics.
He also was an assistant at Chicago, Orlando and Oklahoma City before joining Toronto&rsquo;s staff.
Griffin&rsquo;s task would be to make sure the Bucks&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-bucks-heat-giannis-antetokounmpo-budenholzer-5e7ea2d31a0e15e286d5f499b8247723">avoid the early playoff exits</a>&nbsp;that ended their last two seasons as they deal with a potentially narrowing championship window.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">third in this year&rsquo;s MVP balloting,</a>&nbsp;has two years plus a 2025-26 player option remaining in the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-milwaukee-bucks-milwaukee-giannis-antetokounmpo-4064e58864446b2d55314713caea70b1">supermax deal</a>&nbsp;he signed in December 2020. Antetokoumpo is eligible to sign an extension in September.
Brook Lopez, the runner-up to Memphis&rsquo; Jaren Jackson Jr. in the NBA defensive player of the year voting, is a free agent. Three-time All-Star Khris Middleton also could become a free agent as well if he doesn&rsquo;t pick up his $40.4 million player option for the upcoming season.
Antetokounmpo is 28 years old, but most of the Bucks&rsquo; other key players are well into their 30s. Lopez is 35, All-Star guard Jrue Holiday turns 33 on June 12 and Middleton turns 32 on Aug. 12.
Budenholzer led the Bucks to a league-best 271-120 regular-season record in his five seasons and coached the 2020-21 Bucks to their first NBA title since 1971. But with the notable exception of that championship run, the Bucks couldn&rsquo;t match their regular-season success&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-bucks-heat-giannis-antetokounmpo-budenholzer-5e7ea2d31a0e15e286d5f499b8247723">in the postseason.</a>
The Bucks had a league-best 58-24 regular-season record this year but fell 4-1 to the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs. They were just the sixth No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in the opening round, and the only No. 1 seed that failed to win more than one playoff game.
Budenholzer also led Milwaukee to the league&rsquo;s best regular-season record in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The Bucks blew a 2-0 lead and lost 4-2 in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals to a Toronto team that included Griffin on the coaching staff. The Bucks fell 4-1 to Miami in the second round in 2020.
The 2020-21 Milwaukee team had the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and lost a seven-game, second-round series to the Boston Celtics.
Milwaukee played that entire series against Boston without Middleton, who had a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. In the series against Miami this year, Antetokounmpo left Game 1 early and missed all of Games 2 and 3 with a bruised lower back.

The Bucks are finalizing a deal to make Adrian Griffin their head coach after he spent the last five seasons as a Raptors assistant.

Bucks finalizing deal with Raptors’ Adrian Griffin as head coach

After monitoring the NBA awards races all season, Nekias Duncan shares his final selections for DPOY, ROY, MIP, 6MOY and more.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award selections: DPOY, 6MOY, MIP, more

Nekias Duncan checks back in with this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through the end of February.

2022-23 NBA award front-runners Vol. 2: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Fred VanVleet scored 35 points, topping 30 for a career-best ninth time this season, and Pascal Siakam added 28 points as the Toronto Raptors beat the Detroit Pistons 119-118 Sunday for their fourth win in five games.
Scottie Barnes scored 20 points and Precious Achiuwa had 11 points and 11 rebounds as Toronto won its second straight win over Detroit after losing the previous six meetings.
VanVleet and the Raptors bounced back after blowing a 12-point lead in the final five minutes of Friday&rsquo;s home loss to Utah.
&ldquo;That hurt,&rdquo; VanVleet. &ldquo;Everyone was frustrated for sure, but the game goes on. We&rsquo;ve got to stay focussed on the games in front of us and pile them up as best as we can.&rdquo;
Toronto is 20-7 all-time when VanVleet scores 30 or more points. Siakam has scored 25 or more in three straight games.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s certainly a treat to have two guys out there who you can coach the team through,&rdquo; said Toronto assistant coach Adrian Griffin, who led the Raptors Sunday with head coach Nick Nurse away for personal reasons.
Detroit&rsquo;s Dwane Casey worked with both Siakam and VanVleet when he was head coach in Toronto.
&ldquo;They were the difference in the game,&rdquo; Casey said of Toronto&rsquo;s duo. &ldquo;They carried the team, they did a great job.&rdquo;
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 33 points, Alec Burks had 21, and Hamidou Diallo and Jaden Ivey each had 18 for the Pistons. Detroit failed once again to win consecutive games for the second time this season.
Detroit beat San Antonio in double overtime Friday in a matchup of two of the NBA&rsquo;s worst teams. The Pistons haven&rsquo;t won back-to-back games since victories at Denver and Utah on Nov. 22 and 23, following all 10 wins since with defeats.
Ivey&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 10.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter cut it to 116-113 before VanVleet answered with a pair of free throws.
Bogdanovic hit two free throws, but Achiuwa made one of two at the line to put Toronto up by four points with 4.4 seconds left. Ivey&rsquo;s 3 at the buzzer wasn&rsquo;t enough for Detroit.
Pistons center Jalen Duren injured his right ankle in the second quarter, but returned to start the second half. The rookie teenager scored a career-high 30 points Friday. The 19-year-old Duren finished with six points in 21 minutes.
&ldquo;He turned it pretty good,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;Just trying to go up and down the floor and when they were attacking the rim, he just couldn&rsquo;t pivot and move. Hopefully it&rsquo;s not something that&rsquo;s long lasting.&rdquo;
Toronto scored 14 points off 18 Detroit turnovers. The Raptors allowed a season-low five points off their eight turnovers.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got to be smarter with the ball, stronger with the ball,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;A lot of our turnovers were self-inflicted, throwing it to nobody, throwing it to air.&rdquo;
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl started for the first time in two games since rejoining the team that drafted him. He took the spot of guard Gary Trent Jr., who sat because of a sore left calf.
Toronto held a 53-52 edge at halftime and took an 85-77 lead to the fourth.
HAYES STRUGGLES AGAIN
Detroit&rsquo;s Killian Hayes shot 1 for 10 and scored two points. He shot 1 for 11 Friday.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s pressing a little bit,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;I told him &lsquo;Relax, have fun, play basketball.&rsquo; He&rsquo;s overthinking things with his shooting.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pistons: Stewart scored 16 points.. &hellip; Outscored Toronto 43-19 in bench points. &hellip; Detroit is 7-22 on the road, the worst mark in the Eastern Conference.
Raptors: VanVleet had eight 30-point games in 2021-22. He has five such games since Jan. 1. &hellip; Poeltl fouled out in the fourth. He finished with six points and five rebounds in 25 minutes. &hellip; F O.G. Anunoby (sprained left wrist) missed his eighth straight game&hellip;. Toronto signed G/F Joe Wieskamp to a multi-year contract Saturday.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Visit Boston on Wednesday.
Raptors: Host Orlando on Tuesday.

Fred VanVleet scored 35 points, as the Raptors beat the Pistons 119-118 on Sunday for their fourth win in five games.

Fred VanVleet tops 30 for ninth time, Raptors beat Pistons 119-118

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 29 points, Dejounte Murray had 27 and the Atlanta Hawks never trailed in a 114-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
&ldquo;We just want to continue to grow and get better, game by game,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not going to be great every night, but we&rsquo;ll definitely have nights like tonight where we can control the game and take over when we need to.&rdquo;
Onyeka Okongwu had 10 points and 13 rebounds, and AJ Griffin came off the bench to score 13 as the Hawks won for the third time in four games after losing five of their previous six. Atlanta won at Indiana on Friday on a last-second basket by John Collins.
&ldquo;This is probably our best road trip,&rdquo; Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s only two games, but to go into Indiana and win there, and Toronto is always a tough place to play on a back-to-back.&rdquo;
Ninth-place Atlanta came in one game ahead of 10th-place Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks snapped a three-game road losing streak north of the border to win the third and final regular-season meeting between the teams and take the series 2-1.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I think they had that in their minds, too. Both teams, we obviously understand where we&rsquo;re at right now and how close the race is. Starting the second half, you want to win these tiebreakers.&rdquo;
Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Pascal Siakam scored 15 points before fouling out as the Raptors finished a season-long six-game homestand at 3-3.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a long way to go with some consistency,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
O.G. Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa each scored 14 points, and Chris Boucher had 13, but Toronto couldn&rsquo;t extend its season-high three-game winning streak.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet shot 1 for 9 and finished with three points, while fellow starting guard Gary Trent Jr. shot 2 for 7 and scored seven points. The pair went 1 for 8 from 3-point range. Trent did not play in the fourth quarter, while VanVleet came on after Siakam departed.
Boucher made a 3-pointer with 3:14 left in the fourth quarter, cutting it to 107-100, but Siakam fouled out trying to stop a driving Young on the next possession. Young made both free throws, putting Atlanta up nine with 2:48 remaining.
Atlanta jumped out to a 20-3 lead as Toronto missed 12 of its first 13 field goal attempts, but the Raptors responded by making eight of their next 10. The Hawks led 34-25 after one.
&ldquo;We were ready to play,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;We wanted to play and we wanted to win.&rdquo;
Young and Murray combined for 16 points and six assists in the second and Atlanta led 69-57 at the half. The Hawks took a 96-79 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Young had nine assists. &hellip; Murray had eight rebounds and six assists. &hellip; Collins and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter each scored 11 points. &hellip; G Bogdan Bogdanovic (left quad) was out. &hellip;C Clint Capela (right calf) missed his 10th consecutive game.
Raptors: Play 10 of the next 12 on the road, where they are 5-13. &hellip; VanVleet shot 0 for 6 and was scoreless in the first half. &hellip; Shot 7 for 29 from 3-point range.
FAMILY MATTERS
For the second time in three meetings, Hawks rookie AJ Griffin got the best of his father, Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin.
&ldquo;I wanted him to get that household tiebreaker for sure,&rdquo; Young joked.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Host Miami on Monday night.
Raptors: Visit New York on Monday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Trae Young scored 29 points, Dejounte Murray had 27 and the Hawks never trailed in a 114-103 victory over the Raptors.

Young scores 29, Murray 27 as Hawks beat Raptors 114-103

Nekias Duncan takes an early look at this year's NBA award races with an in-depth look at who leads the pack through mid-December.

Nekias Duncan's 2022-23 NBA award front-runners: MVP, DPOY, ROY, more

This holiday season should be especially interesting at the Griffin residence.
Just five nights ago, Atlanta Hawks rookie AJ Griffin lept and laid in a game-winning overtime alley-oop from Trae Young to defeat the Toronto Raptors as his father Adrian looked on from the bench.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's a blessing to be able to play against each other. I think that's definitely gonna be a night to remember forever, especially 'cause that was the first one against him,&rdquo; a snickering Griffin told Basketball News and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday in Cleveland. &ldquo;You start talking about that on Thanksgiving (laughs).&rdquo;
After the walk-off victory, Griffin shared an embrace with his father, who told him how proud he was.
&ldquo;Not even just on the court, but off the court too just being able to share my faith and be able to just continue to be a light. Those moments are priceless and I love him. Gotta get that second one though (laughs),&rdquo; Griffin said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
AJ Griffin not only hit the game-winner for the <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATLHawks</a>&hellip; he did it with his dad, Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin, on the opposite sideline. <a href="https://t.co/K9fC7pzhEQ">pic.twitter.com/K9fC7pzhEQ</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1594180780472811522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Adrian should be a delighted dad, especially from an athletics perspective.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s AJ, who&rsquo;s starting his NBA career on a high note, but he&rsquo;s not the only one doing big things. His sister Aubrey is a standout junior for UConn women&rsquo;s hoops, and just made a huge impact for the No. 10 Huskies in their recent win over NC State.&nbsp;
Their brother Alan finished up a solid basketball career between Illinois and Syracuse, playing professionally for the Newfoundland Growlers in the CEBL last season, and their oldest sister Vanessa was a multi-sport athlete in high school. To top it off, AJ&rsquo;s mother, Audrey Sterling, was an All-American track star at Seton Hall.
&ldquo;Really just growing up, I'm always around sports. I think that competitive spirit we have in our family, it just comes so natural,&rdquo; AJ said of the unique connection.
This year, Griffin&rsquo;s found a second family in the Hawks.&nbsp;
Speaking to the locker room welcoming him with open arms, the 19-year-old admits he feels like a younger brother to many of his teammates.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Just the love from the veterans here, I appreciate it. I just really enjoy being here and being able to play with everyone and being able to play on the court with each other. It's special so far,&rdquo; said Griffin, who then praised Young and Dejounte Murray. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to watch, just to be able to play with those guys. It's still early in the season, and I feel like something special is brewing.&rdquo;
Only 18 games into the season, Griffin has already gained the trust of Hawks head coach Nate McMillan. Not even in the rotation just one month ago, the Duke product has looked the part of a legitimate pro almost in an instant.
&ldquo;You know, he's earning minutes,&rdquo; McMillan said pregame in Cleveland on Monday. &ldquo;What we've told all of our young guys and really our guys coming off our bench, &lsquo;You're gonna get short minutes, and you have to take whatever minutes you get &mdash; whether it's 5, 10 minutes &mdash; then [turn it into] 15, 20 minutes. That's what AJ has done.&rdquo;
With De'Andre Hunter feeling under the weather, Monday in Cleveland marked Griffin&rsquo;s first career NBA start. Other than his team falling short on the road, he did not disappoint.
Playing a career-high 35 minutes, second most on the squad, he poured in 17 points on 7-for-11 from the floor and nabbed 3 steals.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
14, meet starting 5 🤝<a href="https://twitter.com/whoisAG21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@whoisAG21</a> put up 17 in his first career start! <a href="https://t.co/hoVmB35SH2">pic.twitter.com/hoVmB35SH2</a>
&mdash; Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1595112824648663040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;He did a good job. He made some shots out there and was able to make some threes and be productive,&rdquo; McMillan said after the game. &ldquo;The challenge was gonna be, for him, on the defensive end of the floor matching up with [Donovan] Mitchell, which is a big challenge. But I thought he played the way he&rsquo;s been playing &mdash; with confidence. He&rsquo;s gonna make some mistakes, but I thought they were aggressive mistakes. I thought he played okay."
While he had his lumps against the Cavs superstar, according to the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1631100/head-to-head" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA&rsquo;s matchup tracking data</a>, Griffin spent over seven minutes guarding Mitchell and held him to 9 points on 3-for-8 from the field, forcing two turnovers.
Coming into the NBA Draft, Griffin&rsquo;s reputation with the Blue Devils might&rsquo;ve seemed that of a catch-shoot prospect. And there is truth to that when you see his 40.0% clip from deep in those scenarios.
However, studying the tape, he&rsquo;s been finding his way into the middle of the floor a lot too. Exhibiting patience beyond his years, Griffin will put the ball on the deck, oftentimes stopping on a dime, pump-faking and sneaking under his defender with an 8-to-10 foot push shot. He&rsquo;s gone to that move on the baseline, and he&rsquo;s also wiggled his way to those kind of looks at the top of the key.
There aren&rsquo;t many wings with the kind of footwork Griffin already has, and he credits his high school coaches at Archbishop Stepinac, Rodney Swain and Pat Massaroni, for helping him work on that in New York before he left for Durham, North Carolina.
&ldquo;Just having that time off before going off to college, I've been working on it,&rdquo; Griffin said. &ldquo;But just being able to utilize it now and being able to have that space to create and just play my game freely. I feel like it's just coming natural. And I guess you could say it's like deep in my bag where I haven't used it in a while. But like, it felt natural to me. We've been working since high school, really since seventh grade, just footwork, every part of my game really we've been working on.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Every time I catch AJ Griffin, he seems to be doing good things. Some really nice moments in the first half tonight. <a href="https://t.co/7NVtkvxtHi">pic.twitter.com/7NVtkvxtHi</a>
&mdash; Steph Noh (@StephNoh) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephNoh/status/1594129251241951232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

As his rookie year moves along, Griffin is taking everything in stride.
He&rsquo;s starting to get the NBA life down pat.
&ldquo;Really I think just the schedule,&rdquo; Griffin said of his biggest adjustment. &ldquo;I think I'm starting to get a feel of it though almost a quarter through the season. You know when you'll have time to rest, you know when you should be in the gym. Just being able to pick up on those tendencies and knowing how to take care of your body. I think at first it was kind of a struggle, but now it's kinda coming along.&rdquo;
Young has relished watching Griffin&rsquo;s joyful demeanor, even with his fluctuating playing time.
&ldquo;I told him at the beginning never get too high, too low,&rdquo; Young said Monday morning. &ldquo;He's been doing that. He's just had the same smile every game whether he plays a little bit or he plays a lot. So he's just been a great rook for sure.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Just continue getting the work in,&rdquo; Griffin said when asked how he stays ready. &ldquo;No matter if I'm playing 10 or 20 minutes, the coaching staff and the training staff, they do well with just maintaining my load for the week and making sure I'm ready for the game and for workouts if I don't play as much.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The good news for Griffin is that his stock is rising, and when he&rsquo;s seen more action, he&rsquo;s delivered.
Despite a shallow sample size, AJ has dropped 58 points with a scorching 69.2% True Shooting percentage in the combined three games he&rsquo;s played 30 minutes or more. He&rsquo;s corralled rebounds, ripped away steals, guarded on the perimeter and, maybe most impressively, has taken care of the basketball in the process.
&ldquo;He's been able to come out and provide some scoring, some shooting for us. Now that he is getting more time, now he's been challenged on the defensive end of the floor guarding that 2, that 3 position, and he's been pretty good,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;So he's playing with a lot of confidence. He has given us a lift in this short season, and he's earned the right to be put out there and given an opportunity.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He's been playing great,&rdquo; Young added. &ldquo;I mean, every time he gets in the game, it feels like does something. Whether he makes a three or gets in the lane and makes a play for himself or somebody else. He's just been playing great all year.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies highlights Hawks rookie AJ Griffin's recent success with Atlanta as he's earned more playing time.

Deep in his bag: Hawks' AJ Griffin took an inch, turned it into a mile

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Scottie Barnes scored a season-high 21 points and the Toronto Raptors routed the Atlanta Hawks 139-109 Monday night.
&ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t ready to play and we got our (butt) kicked,&rdquo; Atlanta&rsquo;s Dejounte Murray said.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 21 points and O.G. Anunoby had 14 as the Raptors set a season high in points and improved to 3-1 at home.
Siakam had six assists, his franchise-best 30th game with 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and five or more assists. Siakam also reached those marks in Friday&rsquo;s home loss to Philadelphia.
&ldquo;I feel like Pascal&rsquo;s been killing it,&rdquo; Barnes said. &ldquo;I feel like he should be in that question of being the MVP with the level he&rsquo;s playing at.&rdquo;
Barnes made a career-best five 3-pointers and finished 5 for 9 from long distance.
Toronto has won three straight home meetings with Atlanta.
&ldquo;I thought there was more urgency coming from them,&rdquo; Hawks coach Nate McMillan said of Toronto. &ldquo;They played harder. They out-scrapped us.&rdquo;
Trae Young had 14 points and 10 assists, and John Collins had 12 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out as the Hawks lost their second straight. Atlanta lost at Milwaukee on Saturday.
Murray scored 20 points for the Hawks, Clint Capela had 13 and De&rsquo;Andre Hunter 11.
The Hawks had a season-worst 18 turnovers, leading to 24 points for Toronto.
&ldquo;Just not taking care of the ball, playing loose with the basketball,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;A team like this will pound you, as they did.&rdquo;
Six of Atlanta&rsquo;s turnovers came in the first quarter.
&ldquo;When you play on the road and teams get turnovers like that, they feed off of it,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;They did that, they did it again and again.&rdquo;
Murray said the Hawks discussed their poor performance in the locker room after the game. Murray said he was satisfied the meeting had been productive.
&ldquo;Absolutely,&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;You could tell by guys&rsquo; eyes and ears.&rdquo;
Down 34-28 after one, the Hawks went ahead 49-48 after a basket from Young with 4:27 left in the second. Siakam scored six points and Barnes had five as Toronto closed the half with a 16-4 run to lead 64-53 at the break.
Siakam shot 1 for 7 in the third but scored six of his nine points at the free throw line as the Raptors took a 95-80 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Hawks: Young had seven assists in the first. It&rsquo;s the tenth time in his career that he&rsquo;s had seven or more assists in a quarter. Seven of those 10 have come in first quarters. &hellip; Atlanta has scored 100 or more points in 28 consecutive games.
Raptors: G Fred VanVleet was not available (sore back). Rookie center Christian Koloko made his first career start. &hellip; Toronto outscored Atlanta 43-10 in fast break points. &hellip; Barnes had a season-high with eight assists. &hellip; F Otto Porter Jr. (personal reasons) was unavailable for the second straight game. &hellip; Former Raptors star Chris Bosh had 27 games with 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and five or more assists.
CRIME SPREE
Toronto had 13 steals while the Hawks had one. Anunoby led the Raptors with a season-high six steals.
FAMILY AFFAIR
Hawks rookie F AJ Griffin had two points, two rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes. His father, Adrian Griffin, is a 10-year NBA veteran and, since 2018, a Raptors assistant coach.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Conclude a five-game trip at New York on Wednesday night.
Raptors: Visit San Antonio on Wednesday night.

Pascal Siakam had 31 points and 12 rebounds, as the Toronto Raptors routed the Atlanta Hawks 139-109 on Monday night.

Pascal Siakam has 31 points, 12 boards, Raptors rout Hawks 139-109

In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes how Chris Webber's decision-making unlocked the Kings' revolutionary offense.

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In his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa analyzes Chauncey Billups' dual-threat nature and impact on the next generation of point guards.

Blazing the Trail: Chauncey Billups, the basketball cheat code

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<div class="css-901oao r-1awozwy r-1bwzh9t r-6koalj r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-1h0z5md r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-o7ynqc r-clp7b1 r-3s2u2q r-qvutc0" dir="ltr">
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Free agent Blake Griffin has agreed to a one-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1575868141493579776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1niwhzg r-sdzlij r-1p0dtai r-xoduu5 r-1d2f490 r-xf4iuw r-1ny4l3l r-u8s1d r-zchlnj r-ipm5af r-o7ynqc r-6416eg">Griffin will help replace the minutes that were planned for Danilo Gallinari before he suffered a season-ending knee surgery over the summer.</div>
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