Photo via Twitter / Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are nearing the all-star break with a record of 21-13, with just a pair of games left before taking on the second half of the schedule. Last week, the NBA announced their second-half slate for the anomaly of the 2020-21 season, which will have Milwaukee playing into mid-May in an effort to get the league back onto their regular schedule by next season. The short break for an all-star game in Atlanta on Sunday will give the team some rest, with the exception of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was the lone Buck named as a starter for the condensed version of the mid-season exhibition.
The timing of the all-star break doesn’t do Milwaukee many favors in terms of momentum. Five straight wins last week helped the Bucks recover from their recent losing skid, and the addition of Jrue Holiday to the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers meant that the Bucks’ regular rotation are all injury and COVID-19 protocol free. Fortunately, games resume on March 11, but Milwaukee will have a pair of contests, one at home and one away, before the season’s midway point.
Tuesday, March 2 vs. Denver (8 p.m., Fox Sports Wisconsin)
The Bucks wrap up their current home stand on Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets, who they previously met with at the beginning of the month. In that game, Milwaukee pulled out a 125-112 win, thanks to 30 points from Giannis Antetokoumpo and 29 from Khris Middleton. All of the starters were in double figures for that game, and a second-half surge allowed for Milwaukee to use a good portion of their bench late. For Denver, center Nikola Jokic is again going to be a main source of offense, after scoring 35 points in their last matchup. Jrue Holiday was also not available for the Bucks in that game, so hopefully the well-rested component of Milwaukee’s starting lineup can get his feet back under him in this contest.
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Thursday, March 4 at Memphis (7 p.m., Fox Sports Wisconsin)
The first half of the season for Milwaukee ends on the road, with their first of two matchups against the Memphis Grizzlies for this season. The Grizzlies come into this season playing just under .500 basketball, and are currently sitting in 10th in the Western Conference. Memphis have a pair of centers in Gorgui Dieng and Jonas Valanciunas that will look to be physical in the paint, and point guard Ja Morant is already leading the team in points and assists in just his second year in the league. Memphis is building a playoff contender, but this will hopefully be a strong performance for Milwaukee heading into the break.
