Bucks players know they must pull together in wake of Jason Kidd's firing

Matt Velazquez
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Khris Middleton celebrates with Bucks teammates Eric Bledsoe (left) and Jason Terry (right) after scoring two of his 35 points Monday night in their victory over the Suns.

A array of emotions swept the Milwaukee Bucks locker room Monday.

During the hours leading up to the game against the Phoenix Suns, the pre-game routine was anything but as players learned about and tried to process the firing of head coach Jason Kidd. There was the confusion, frustration and mourning that can be expected following such a change, especially considering that Kidd had been with the team for 3 1/2 seasons and multiple players credited his tutelage with aiding their own development.

For many players, he was either the longest-tenured head coach they had played for or the only one they had ever known.

By the end of the night, though, those earlier emotions had abated somewhat following a 109-105 victory. In their place was the joy and relief of moving forward and sharing a much-needed win together.

That celebratory feeling — represented by a wet spot on the floor covered with about a dozen towels as Bucks players drenched Malcolm Brogdon after his career-high 32-point night — gives a glimpse of what the Bucks are hoping to capture as they continue with the rest of their season. Their goals and expectations remain high, but they know they'll need to stick together, work hard and have fun in order to have a chance at reaching them.

“It looks like tonight, what you saw," Bucks guard Jason Terry said of the team banding together amid this major change. "We’re still a man down and under-manned, but when we play together as a team on both ends of the floor and have fun we can beat anybody. I think that was the message and it’s time for us to get consistent with those values.”

FIRINGJason Kidd out after 3 1/2 seasons

D'AMATO: Players shouldn't get a pass on Kidd's firing

Q&A: Jason Terry shares thoughts on Kidd's firing

BUCKS 109, SUNS 105: Guards help Prunty get first victory

The first part of the players coming together occurred as they began processing Kidd’s firing. Many of them found out via social media as the news unfolded.

For a sizable chunk of the team’s less experienced players — Thon Maker, Rashad Vaughn, rookies Sterling Brown and D.J. Wilson, for example — this type of change is something they haven’t been through before. Immediately, they sought counsel from the veterans and assistant coaches on how to handle the situation.

“That's the toughest part,” Maker said. “I don't know how to handle. The best thing I can do is just ask people. You build relationships in this league and then they get cut off, just like that. It's tough. I don't know how to handle it. It's my second year. I haven't seen a lot of it, so the only thing I can do is just ask.”

Shortly before meeting with the media, general manager Jon Horst, along with assistant GM Milt Newton, addressed the team in the locker room. That gathering included Terry and Matthew Dellavedova, who have each gone through midseason coaching changes with other teams, sharing their experiences and trying to help everyone prepare for the upcoming game as well as the challenges ahead.

“I think for the most part the message was, ‘It’s on us,’ ” Terry said. “Once they make (the) decision — which was a tough one — that they did, they put the onus on the players. We understand it’s going to take us as a group collectively. We have the talent, but us as a group collectively (need) to come out and execute and play together and have fun. Then we can look at the results.”

Khris Middleton added: “We’ve got to (come together). When the head man goes, the head of the snake, we have to all buy in together and come together and do it for one another.”

With that, the Bucks turned their attention to the game at hand — and immediately fell behind 10-2. Interim coach Joe Prunty called timeout and tried to calm things down and help his team reset. Middleton and others said that was a moment the team needed.

Following that slow start, the Bucks found their stride. There were ups and downs during the game, but together Milwaukee’s players found ways to handle the pressure. Middleton and Brogdon made numerous clutch, tough shots, especially in the fourth quarter. Eric Bledsoe kept the ball moving en route to seven assists and injected a spark with four steals as well as his dynamic speed that kept his former teammates on their heels.

While all that was going on, players were acutely locked in and spurring each other on, which to Prunty was among the best aspects of the night.

"They pull for each other,” Prunty said. “They stand up and cheer for each other. And that's across the board. …

“You can even look at somebody like Marshall Plumlee — this is a thing that doesn't show up in the stat sheet. There is an assist on a pass from another guy. He is not even involved in the play and he's screaming, 'Great pass! Great pass!' And he just joined the team. So it's something that didn't just start today. That's been going on for the season. We'll pull for each other. That's what we need to do. That's what he have to do every day, pull for each other. That's how you get wins in this league."

Marred by inconsistency throughout this season, the Bucks will need to channel what they did on Monday into each practice and game as the season rolls along.

“Just embrace each other, just hone in a little bit more on each of our individual roles on the team,” Brogdon said. “We didn’t trade anybody, we didn’t lose any talent. We still got all of our guys on the floor. We need to make the playoffs. Our goals haven’t changed.”

Maintaining the same goals — with a reasonable chance at reaching them — isn’t the norm when it comes to situations like the one the Bucks are in. Usually a midseason coaching change means the season is essentially lost.

But with a 24-22 record that puts them just 3 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers — the current No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference — the Bucks are in a solid fight to make the playoffs for a second straight season.

With forward Jabari Parker expected back on the court before the all-star break following a year on the sidelines due to a torn left anterior cruciate ligament, the Bucks still believe they’re a dangerous team with a familiar coach and staff still running the show.

“We have a great shot of getting great seeding in the playoffs,” Middleton said. “We’re not just trying to make the playoffs, we want to get a great seed. At the same time, it is a reset. We have to refocus in on our jobs and go out there and compete every night. …

“I’m still confident in my teammates. We have a great team. We’re on a skid — it happened to us last year (and) we still pulled it off. We went on a nice winning streak, we competed, got into the playoffs when a lot of people didn’t think we were going to get there after that skid. So why not do it again this year and get in better position?”

The fight continues at 7 p.m. Friday against the Brooklyn Nets, Kidd's old team, at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.