A mental test awaits the Bucks against a hollowed-out Nets squad
Tonight, the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Brooklyn Nets for the third time this season in a game that will likely look quite different than their previous two meetings. The first game, which was right at the beginning of Milwaukee’s 2-8 start, went to the Nets. However, the Bucks took the next game a few weeks ago in an exhilarating finish. What charms will this third meeting have in store?
Where We’re At
The Bucks recovered well after their post-Cup drubbing to the Cavaliers, banking wins against the Wizards and Bulls. Notably, both wins came without Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard (illness), which meant others had to step up. Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton led the charge in both instances for Milwaukee, but key contributions from a host of role players (too many to mention, frankly) have allowed the team to keep winning. While the level of competition hasn’t been overwhelming it is a welcome sight to see the Bucks depth get them through winnable games.
For the Nets, it has been a different story of late. They traded away their key offensive engine, Dennis Schröder, at the first opportunity because, let’s be honest, he was winning them way too many games. To be clear, Brooklyn was faltering before trading Schröder but have dropped three of their last four games without him, losing most recently to the Heat, Jazz, and Cavaliers, while winning against the Raptors. Catch the extended recap from the Heat game here. Down a leading ball handler and creator, the next few weeks in Brooklyn are likely to be focused on more trade market shenanigans rather than gunning for wins. Still, an NBA opponent is an NBA opponent.
Injury Report
For Milwaukee, Khris Middleton is listed as probable (bilateral ankle surgery). Giannis is listed as questionable (back spasms), as is Damian Lillard (illness). AJ Johnson and Chris Livingston are both out (illness).
Brooklyn’s injury list is quite a bit longer. The following players are out: Bojan Bogdanović, De’Anthony Melton, Cam Thomas, Trendon Watford, and Ziaire Williams. Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons are both listed as questionable. The tank is truly on.
Player To Watch
With Schröder gone and Thomas out, the Nets are going to look for new guys to provide scoring. I considered Tyrese Martin, who dropped 30 points against the Suns on 8/10 from three last month. But Martin has been relatively quiet lately, so let’s go with Noah Clowney. The 2023 first-round pick got spot minutes in his rookie year, but has been given much more burn this season. There seems to have been a clear directive from the organisation to turn him into a stretch-five. Clowney raised his three-point attempts from 1.4 last season to 4.9 this season, and he’s making them at a 36% clip. The Bucks must be ready for that.
How To Watch
FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 PM CST.
Playback Streaming
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