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The Milwaukee Bucks had a somewhat chaotic start to their 2020-21 campaign. With a stretch of games that saw them flying back and forth to the east coast, it was understandable that the team would have at least one early loss on their record that was certainly a winnable game. This week, however, the team will be enjoying an extended home stand, which started on Friday night.
The Bucks went 2-1 last week, with a 47-point win over the Miami Heat last Tuesday and a 30-point victory over the Chicago Bulls at home on Friday night. In the Tuesday contest, they set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a game. The commanding wins were a sign of a team that is truly starting to click, with strong play from Khris Middleton, as well as early impressive performances from Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis and Donte DiVincenzo.
Understandably, though, the most eyes are on the reigning league MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has had issues with his shot from distance, as well as the free-throw line. On Friday night, he made just 10 of 18 free-throws, and almost routinely missed his first shot when shooting two. As teams are figuring out how to defend his play in the paint, those points left off the board will become crucial in tighter games. Fortunately, it is still very early in the season. Here’s what’s on tap for the Bucks this week:
Monday & Wednesday, Jan. 4 & 6 vs. Detroit (Both games at 7:00 p.m., Fox Sports Wisconsin)
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A struggling Detroit Pistons team head into Milwaukee on Monday, led by Jerami Grant, Blake Griffin and Mason Plumlee. Grant has been a top weapon for the team on both sides of the court so far, with an average of 23 points and 1.4 blocks per game. Expect the size of the Pistons to be a challenge in this series, putting increased pressure on the Greek Freak and bigs like Brook Lopez. The Bucks are highly favored to win these games, which should help ease some of the early pressure on the team.
Friday, Jan. 8 vs. Utah (7:00 p.m., Fox Sports Wisconsin)
The entire Western Conference looks strong this season, and one of the top teams comes into Milwaukee on Friday night. With a strong starting five led by Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz are definite contenders in the West, and off to a strong start this year. That starting five also includes Bojan Bogdonavich, whom the Bucks attempted to trade for, before a botched deal resulted in the team losing a 2022 second-round draft pick due to NBA tampering rules. Utah’s starting lineup also all average more than 30 minutes per game, meaning that Milwaukee is in for a tough start to a pair of games on consecutive nights.
Saturday, Jan. 9 vs. Cleveland (7:00 p.m., Fox Sports Wisconsin)
The back end of Milwaukee’s second back-to-back of the season has the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into Fiserv Forum, who have also been off to a good start to the season. Another pair of big centers in Javale McGee and Andre Drummond will make things rough in the paint, but Collin Sexton has been the team’s top scorer, averaging nearly 26 points per game. Fortunately for the Bucks, the Cavs also have back-to-back games this week, with a travel day heading into Milwaukee. It may be a lower scoring affair than we’ve seen, but the Bucks look favorable heading into their next set of road games.
