The struggling Milwaukee Bucks face the white-hot San Antonio Spurs this afternoon at Fiserv, and there is potential for it to get really ugly, really fast; with Giannis already ruled out, Victor Wembanyama could run riot over the Bucks. A Spurs win today would mean they take the season series 2-0.
Where We’re At
The Bucks have lost 12 of their last 15 games. Yeah, it’s been rough. Most recently, they got pummeled by the Blazers, 130-99; watching that game was the embodiment of the “stop, he’s already dead” scene
in The Simpsons. I mean, it got ugly early, and if it wasn’t for a Ryan Rollins career-high 36 points, there was absolutely the potential for a 50-point loss. That said, there have been some silver linings, such as Andre Jackson Jr., who has shown some good signs since getting back into the rotation. Jackson had four steals against the Blazers and showed flashes of a more composed offensive game. I assume this is last chance saloon for AJax, so it’s good that he’s put his best foot forward.
As for the Spurs, well, it’s the opposite situation. They have won seven straight and sit 2.5 games back of the Thunder for the one-seed in the West. Of course, it helps when you have a 7’4” destroyer that can score from anywhere and defend anyone. The season Wemby is having is truly crazy, and yes, worthy of MVP consideration: 24.2 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 3.6 BPG! Of course, this team got lucky and jumped from the bottom of the lottery to the top (because of course they did), drafting Dylan Harper, who looks to be a player himself. This team is good and will be good for a long time; I need to stop writing before I get depressed.
Injury Report
For the Bucks, Giannis (calf) and Kevin Porter Jr. (knee) are out. Kyle Kuzma (Achilles), Bobby Portis (wrist), Myles Turner (calf), and Gary Harris (groin) are all questionable. The Spurs have a clean bill of health.
Player to Watch
Coming off his career-high, and with multiple ball-handlers out, I’m watching for what Ryan Rollins can do against this Spurs lineup, which ranks third in defensive rating for the year. How does he navigate (or avoid) Wemby? How does he fare with Stephon Castle as his primary defender? This is an almighty test for Rylo, and I’m just keen to see how he goes.
How To Watch
Tune in at 2:00 p.m. CDT on Prime Video.
