The Milwaukee Bucks begin their title defense of the NBA Cup tonight against the Chicago Bulls. This will be the first of four games between the I-94 rivals. The Bucks will look to bounce back after looking flat in a loss to the Toronto Raptors, while the Bulls will look to keep up the strong start after a win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
Where We’re At
The Bucks are an interesting team. One moment, every shot goes in and the offense looks unstoppable, the next, turnovers and bricks are flying out
of nowhere. The defense seems stout, and Myles Turner is blocking every shot that is near the rim, but then the Bucks somehow forget the core concept of boxing out and not jumping on pump fakes. I suppose it’s not surprising given the volatility of this team, given its profile, and the attempt to gel new players and others stepping into larger roles. The 5-3 start has brought more good than bad, but if the Bucks could do something as simple as play better in the second quarter, that would be great.
Chicago was expected to be very average and likely in a play-in spot. But through the first few weeks of the season, the Bulls have been the surprise team of the season. They have a 6-1 record with wins against the Pistons, Magic, and Knicks. Josh Giddey has stepped up with an impressive stat line of 23.1 PPG, 10.0 APG, and 9.1 APG while shooting 41.9% from three-point range. Nikola Vucevic continues to provide the Bulls with a solid presence in the box score, despite the absence of Coby White, who has not played this season due to injury. Bulls fans are happy, but we will see how the team develops throughout the year.
Injury Report
Chicago will not have Coby White (right calf) and Zach Collins (left scaphoid) available, and Ayo Dosunmu is listed as questionable due to a left quad contusion.
Milwaukee will not have Kevin Porter Jr., and Taurean Prince is listed as questionable with a neck strain.
Player To Watch
Bobby Portis has had an unimpressive start to the season, averaging 8.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG while shooting under 40% from the floor. He is playing fewer minutes per game, but the offensive capabilities Bobby can provide just haven’t shown up this season, punctuated by an abysmal showing Tuesday night against the Raptors. Will Bobby want to prove something to the haters or the Bulls organization? If he does, let’s hope it’s productive for Milwaukee instead of self-sabotaging.
How to Watch
FanDuel Sports Wisconsin 7:00 p.m. CST.
