When the Bucks stifled the Rockets offense last season, winning both meetings including a blowout in Milwaukee when the Rockets scored just 94 points, much was made of the defensive technique in which guards played next to or even behind James Harden to take away his step-back 3 and big men dropped to the rim.
The Rockets, to face the Bucks in Thursday’s season opener, argued Milwaukee’s success was about something behind strategy.
“More than anything, they were really good defensively,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It was a different look. Sometimes, that takes a little while to get adjusted to.