On Tuesday night, the blew a 14-point lead to a -less . They were outscored 27 to 13 in the fourth quarter and eventually lost in double overtime. Although it's easy to consider the result of the game as a random meltdown, it feels more like a reflection of their season's struggles. Bad defense and poor clutch shot selection have been some of their biggest weaknesses all season long, and their fourth-quarter and overtime performance last Tuesday was proof that their struggles will continue to haunt them. Exploitable Defense The Lakers backcourt was feasting on the Bucks' wing defenders. Austin Reaves and were taking turns hunting , , and Malik Beasly. The Bucks' point of attack has been susceptible to attacks all season long, and Tuesday night was no different. In this possession, look at Malik Beasly's defensive positioning. After he switches from Russell to Reaves, he's standing at the top of the key with the eyes on the ball, and his back towards his defensive assignment. Unsurprisingly, Reaves gets a completely open lane to attack the rim, easily beating Beasly who couldn't recover in time, and high arching a floater over a late rotating . The just leaves so many unanswered questions. What's the purpose of Beasly's positioning? You could argue that he was there to remove Russell's driving lane, but Reaves has been attacking the Bucks' paint all game. Also, he has already hit three three-pointers up to that point in the game, is it a smart idea to leave him open? Also, why is positioned where he is? If anything, he could've been placed a little further up to deter the drive from the left side. He's playing so closely to Rui Hachimura, who isn't a three-point threat at all. With so many players packed on the left side, Hachimura isn't a driving threat, and Antetokounmpo's speed and length should allow him to recover regardless. The Bucks' defensive scheme has proven too flawed, especially in late-game situations. They have the 14th-ranked defensive rating, but that in the fourth quarter. Not only is their defense easy for opposing offenses to break down, but it also results in a lot of second-chance opportunities. In this possession, look at how effortless 's offensive rebound was. He's the last player to pass the half-court line yet is able to beat out every single Buck for the board. Aside from poor effort, there's more to unpack in this possession. This is a transition play, so it's extremely common for defensive mismatches to occur. Russell has Bobby Portis, and Pat Connaughton gets Davis, which is a poor matchup for both Bucks defenders. However, they decide to switch assignments during the middle of the possession, which means Portis is now trailing Davis, and the only player that can contest Davis for the rebound is six-foot-two Lillard. Also, observe Khris Middleton's defense during the transition play. He's watching the ball, and not his defender, and . You can argue that the game up to that point already felt won, so the Bucks' defense was naturally more lax, but those types of lazy defensive possessions occurred all throughout the fourth quarter and overtime periods. The Lakers secured a total of three offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, as opposed to the Bucks' zero. The Bucks are in the bottom eight this season in contested rebounds and bottom four in offensive rebounds. Poor Clutch Shot Selection The defense wasn't the only problem Tuesday night. The Bucks' offense completely shut down in the fourth quarter as well. As a team, they went 6 for 21 from the field, and Middleton and Lillard combined for two of thirteen. A lot of their possessions were stagnant, and their choice of go-to scorer was questionable. Middleton, who went four for fifteen from the field that game, was given six shots in the fourth quarter, including multiple isolation possessions. Look how little movement exists in this possession. Middleton forces a tough turnaround fadeaway jump shot while four Bucks players watch from afar. What makes matters worse is that this is the second time that quarter that the Bucks ran the same isolation play for Middleton, both resulting in misses. The addition of Lillard was supposed to , but he's been hot and cold all season long. In fact, the entire Bucks offense, aside from Giannis, hasn't been reliable, which is a problem that the team faced in recent years. While the bulk of the Lakers' defensive efforts was focused on Antetokounmpo, who received a total of three attempts during the fourth quarter, no one else was able to capitalize. When it comes to the discussion of title contenders, it's difficult to put the Bucks in that category. If their win condition consists of hoping that Lillard and Middleton don't go cold, it's unlikely that the team can go far. After all, they in exchange for the potential of a potent offense, yet it feels like their scoring in the clutch is just as inconsistent as seasons prior. There's just too many flaws in the Bucks' game, and Tuesday night's match against the Lakers was the perfect example. These issues have existed all season long, and the fact that it still exists this late into the season gives little confidence to the Bucks' title contention chances.