Photo via Twitter / Bucks
Brook Lopez
When asked about the All-Star Game and weekend of activities getting in the way of the Milwaukee Bucks’ current 12-game winning streak, Jrue Holiday told TNT interviewers that the team will be okay, as long as they take the games seriously. They proceeded to do so on Thursday night, hanging a 12-point victory on the Chicago Bulls, with a lead that ballooned up to as many as 20 points on the night before All-Star Weekend began. While the air should have went out of the Bucks when Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right wrist, Holiday and Brook Lopez picked up the team, finishing with 15 and 33 points respectively.
Certainly, losing Giannis could be a big blow to Milwaukee in the short term, especially with the team riding a win streak that put them within a half of a game of the Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference at the break. Milwaukee’s roster is one of the strongest in the league, though, and that was evidenced by the team’s effort in their win over Boston last Tuesday night. Holiday led the charge for the Bucks that night with 40 points, and he and Khris Middleton excelled when called upon, while Giannis battled in the paint. To some extent, opposing teams have at least figured out the core of Antetokounmpo’s game, driving the lane and being virtually unstoppable when he gets into the paint. Holiday and Middleton, however, have proven to be more dynamic scorers, and can hurt teams from driving the ball or shooting from the perimeter. The added duality of Brook Lopez’s game, plus the welcome addition of what Jae Crowder should be able to do with Milwaukee’s offense makes them the team to beat in the East. The Bucks are firing on all cylinders right now, with or without Giannis, and they’ll be re-energized coming out of the All-Star Break on the strength of a lengthy win streak. Here is what’s next for Milwaukee:
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Friday, February 24 vs. Miami (6:30 p.m., ESPN)
Friday night sees the Bucks returning to Fiserv Forum, wrapping up their season series with the Miami Heat. The best that Milwaukee can do is tie the four games they’ll have with the Heat this season, after dropping a pair of games just after the new year, but getting a win back on February 4. It has been a tale of two teams for the Bucks in their games with Miami this year, as the first pair featured an injury-riddled Milwaukee team, and the return game saw Giannis Antetokounmpo’s third triple-double of the season. Miami comes out of the All-Star break with their own injury issues, as guards Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo lead the high-profile names on the reserve list. Their absence hasn’t stopped Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo from driving the Heat offense, though, so expect a fairly tight contest on Friday night.
Sunday, February 26 vs. Phoenix (12 p.m., ABC)
The week ends for Milwaukee with another high-profile game, especially with the acquisition of Jae Crowder for the Bucks and Kevin Durant for the Phoenix Suns. These two franchises will be forever linked due to the 2020-21 NBA Finals, but the recent trades, with Crowder coming in from Phoenix, add another element to what was already going to be a marquee matchup. With both new acquisitions finally getting into rhythm, this will be a game that features two title contenders at their strongest. The Bucks will play Phoenix one more time on March 14, but if all goes well, these two teams may meet up in the NBA Finals once again.
