There are just a dozen games left in the Milwaukee Bucks’ season and the first of them takes place tonight at Intuit Dome against the LA Clippers. Coming off a gritty win against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, the Bucks continue their west-coast road-trip against a Clippers team that has been staggering to the play-in, going 1-4 over their last five games. Despite being the 71st game of the Bucks’ season, tonight’s is the first against the Clippers, with another to come on March 29.
Where We’re At
This Bucks season
might’ve felt like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road—post-apocalyptic, sorrow at every turn, death ever-present—but, like in the novel, there’s just enough positivity to keep hope alive; just enough promise that next year will be better. Saturday’s win over the Suns is the most recent example of this, Ryan Rollins and Ousmane Dieng coming up clutch in the fourth in a glimpse of what could be for years to come—dynamic guard and dynamic wing. Of course, like the ending to The Road, nothing is for certain. Hope exists, but it’s fragile, conditional, unproven.
The Clippers’ future is also unclear, with the team shipping off stalwart centre Ivaca Zubac at the trade deadline and relying heavily on an older trio of Kawhi Leonard (34), Brook Lopez (37), and Kris Dunn (32). Yet, they also have in-his-prime Darius Garland (26) and entering-his-prime Bennedict Mathurin (23). Unlike the Bucks, the Clippers have weathered the storm of their season—a brutal 6-21 start and recent 1-4 skid—to be in the thick of postseason action; Los Angeles currently sits 35-36 and is all-but-guaranteed a play-in performance. Most recently, they won 138-131 in overtime against the Dallas Mavericks behind a season-high 41 points and Clippers-high 11 assists from Garland, to go along with 34 points and five assists from Leonard.
Injury Report
For the Bucks, Giannis (Left Knee; Hyperextension; Bone Bruise) and Kevin Porter Jr. (Right Knee; Synovitis) remain out, while Kyle Kuzma (Right Achilles) is questionable, and Gary Harris (Left Groin; Contusion) is probable.
For the Clippers, Bradley Beal (Left Hip; Fracture), Bennedict Mathurin (Right Toe; Injury Recovery), and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Right Lisfranc Ligament; Tear) are all out. In addition, Kawhi Leonard (Left Ankle; Sprain) is questionable, while John Collins (Left Ankle; Sprain) is probable.
Player to Watch
Despite being waived, Cam Thomas came to Milwaukee with expectations. And he did not disappoint in his first few games, going off for 34 points against the Orlando Magic and 27 points two games later against the New Orleans Pelicans—both wins. In fact, he was so prolific that—for a stretch—he was second in the entire league in points per minute:
But after another efficient night in a blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors, Thomas’ minutes reduced from the low 20s to the mid teens and he soon found himself collecting DNP-CDs. Part of this is a cold shooting stretch, part of it is his singular focus on scoring, and part of it is his defensive struggles. But these were all well-documented prior to Milwaukee signing him and the Bucks have been thin in the backcourt, especially with KPJ in and out of the lineup. Over the last two games, Thomas has been re-activated, putting in 14 points and four assists vs. Utah and seven points—including an important foul-drawing cameo to start the fourth—against Phoenix. So, with just 12 games left and next season’s roster almost certainly in a state of flux, it’ll be worth monitoring Thomas’ role and if he can be part of it. That is, of course, unless a decision has already been made.
How To Watch
Tune in at 9:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
