The Milwaukee Bucks try to start another of those pesky winning streaks tonight in Fiserv against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As we’ve all been patiently waiting for, it’s NBA Rivals Week, so who better
for the Bucks to lock horns with than the Pacers, Celtics, Heat, Suns Thunder! Of course, this extremely bitter rivalry was born out of these teams competing on the highest stage last season in the NBA Finals*. The Bucks reigned supreme, steamrolling the Thunder and cementing their place in league history as one of the few teams to win the trophy!
*NBA Cup
Where We’re At
Well, Milwaukee did win on MLK Day against Atlanta, but it was anything but convincing—as most of their wins are these days. The Bucks squandered a 23-point lead in the second half, needing big threes from AJ Green and Bobby Portis to get them over the line against a struggling Hawks team. Moreover, Atlanta did them a solid by going 1/22 from three (yes, one for twenty-two)—the worst three-point shooting half in NBA history! Prior to that game, Milwaukee got rinsed by Minnesota (down Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert) and San Antonio. So yeah, the Bucks still have a lot of work to do to.
On the other hand, the Thunder—despite having long-term injuries to key players—just keep on keeping on, winning seven of eight. They did go through a rocky patch before that, dropping games to the Hornets and Suns, but have course-corrected since. Over the last eight games, they own the NBA’s fifth-best net rating, but rank atop the league for the season at large. Put simply, this team remains a wagon, and tonight will be a tough one for Milwaukee to win. That said, OKC are beatable on the right night, which Miami showed on Saturday in a 122-120 upset. Godspeed, Bucks.
Injury Report
For the Bucks, Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique) and Myles Turner (ankle) are both questionable. Taurean Prince (neck) is out.
For the Thunder, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Thomas Sorber, Nikola Topic, and Jalen Williams (the wing) are all out. Jaylin Williams (the big) is questionable.
Player To Watch
I’m going with Pete Nance, who, after dominating the G League with the Herd, got his first shot at real minutes with the Bucks against the Hawks, and did not disappoint. Nance made a major impact with five points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 15 minutes; the big man was +13 for the game. I’m looking at what his role develops into going forward. Does he become a regular in the rotation, or was that game more of a flash in the pan?
How To Watch
8:30 p.m. CST on ESPN and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
