Bucks Week Ahead: Life in the Fast Lane

Expand

Image via Twitter / Bucks

Bobby Portis

The Milwaukee Bucks are officially off to their best start in franchise history, with a perfect 9-0 record after handling the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. The winning streak tops the 2018-19 and 1971-72 teams, both of which made it through eight games before seeing their first defeat. They did so without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who racked up his 30th career triple-double on Friday night in Minnesota, and key players in Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton. Milwaukee is certainly clicking offensively, and their depth in terms of scoring ability makes just about any player on the court a threat of having a breakout night.

Here's why the hot start to the season is most important; last season came down to the final day of play, with the Bucks opting to essentially concede a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to avoid playing a then-surging Brooklyn Nets team in the postseason. They finished with the third seed in the Eastern Conference, in a three-way tie with Philadelphia and Boston, the latter of which would ultimately bounce the Bucks from the playoffs. Racking up winnable games early, especially a pair of games in the Central Division, helps Milwaukee build up a cushion that should work in their favor down the stretch. Based on the early going, the Bucks may need to fend off Cleveland, who are currently 7-1, and every game will certainly come into play. While it would normally be just a bit early to start thinking about the postseason, this Bucks team looks like they certainly will be there, and are an early contender to make a return trip to the NBA Finals. Here’s what is ahead in the short term, though.

Monday, November 7 at Atlanta (7:15 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)

The Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks are going to be real familiar with one another by the turn of the calendar year. Milwaukee and Atlanta meet four times this season, with only one of those games happening in 2023. The first game this year was a thriller, with the Bucks pulling away thanks to a late defensive stop with under a minute to go in a raucous Fiserv Forum. The larger story of that game, though, was Milwaukee’s ability to keep point guard Trae Young in check in the fourth quarter. Young had 42 points in 36 minutes in the last game, so Milwaukee’s defense will need to hold him when the season series returns to State Farm Arena.

Wednesday, November 9 at Oklahoma City (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)

After Wednesday night, the Bucks won’t see the Oklahoma City Thunder for the rest of the regular season. On Saturday, they won 108-94, in a game where Giannis sat out to rest a sore knee. They didn’t need the early MVP candidate, though, as a red hot offense kept rolling, with Brook Lopez and Jevon Carter connecting for four and five three-pointers respectively. Grayson Allen would add five baskets from beyond the arc as well. A breakaway second quarter was the difference maker, where Milwaukee outscored the Thunder 33-19. Other than that, Oklahoma City played a quarter-by-quarter game close with Milwaukee, but they could never close the gap. Expect Milwaukee to keep the intensity up once again mid-week.

Friday, November 11 at San Antonio (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)

The San Antonio Spurs will host the Bucks to round out the week’s travels. The Spurs come into the week on a .500 record at 5-5, due to three straight losses, including a 43-point lopsided loss to the Toronto Raptors last week. San Antonio has a young team that is struggling to consistently put the pieces together, but they have a lot of promise for the future. Forward Keldon Johnson is quietly leading the team with just over 23 points per game, and center Jacob Poeltl has been a bright spot for San Antonio during last year’s rebuilding effort as well as the early part of this season. If Giannis is still sore, he may get the night off here as well. Look for Milwaukee to roll on against a young team that is looking to prove themselves.