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The Milwaukee Bucks are in the middle of a three-week stretch where most of their games are held at home, and that’s a crucial advantage to the team moving up within the Eastern Conference standings. Milwaukee is currently in the fourth seed in the East, but just a game behind the Brooklyn Nets, who lead the tightly-contested conference. Fortunately, the team has won each of their last three games, all at home, and come into the week with a 17-8 record in games at Fiserv Forum this year.
The Bucks currently have the most wins at home in the Eastern Conference, and the advantage of home court is substantial for Milwaukee since Fiserv Forum opened. The Bucks have won just over 80% of all games at the arena since they began playing there in 2018, and should use the environment to their advantage this week, with some tough competition coming into town. Here’s what is on the schedule for this week.
Wednesday, Jan. 26 at Cleveland (6 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The Bucks begin the week with their only away game for the majority of the three-week span, as they travel to Cleveland to meet a Cavaliers team on the rise. Cleveland comes into the week winning seven of their last 10 games, with an offense led by guard Darius Garland and center Jared Allen, after Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio have both gone down with season-ending injuries. In two meetings so far this season, the Bucks and Cavaliers have split the season series, with both games held at Fiserv Forum. The last game was a loss, but the Bucks were without any of their regular starting lineup due to various health and safety issues. These teams won’t meet again until the final game of the season, and it currently feels as though Cleveland will have a low seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, so there’s potential for meeting again early in the postseason. Expect a tough matchup at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Wednesday.
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Friday, Jan. 28 vs. New York (9 p.m., ESPN)
A rare late-night contest at Fiserv Forum will take place on Friday, with the New York Knicks coming to Milwaukee for a nationally televised game. The Knicks come into the week on a three-game losing skid, but have had bright spots in the emerging play of guard RJ Barrett and strong outings from forward Julius Randle. This is the last meeting of the two teams for the season, with the Bucks leading the season series 2-1 after some early meetings this year. Look for a tough matchup in the paint between Randle and Giannis Antetokounmpo in this game as well, with both players ranking in the top 15 rebounders in the league. The Knicks are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff race, so every game matters for them right now. Get ready for a late night full of excitement.
Sunday, Jan. 30 vs. Denver (6 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The week finishes out with another strong team coming to Fiserv Forum, when the Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets will meet Milwaukee for the second and final time this season. The first game was an anticipated matchup between the NBA’s previous two MVPs in Giannis and Jokic, but the Nuggets center was unavailable due to a wrist injury. Since then, the Serbian has put up incredible numbers, averaging nearly 26 points per game, as well as 13.9 rebounds and 7.5 assists this season. Denver come into the week playing just above .500 basketball, with Jokic leading the team in every major offensive category. The game will also feature a return to Milwaukee for Bryn Forbes, who was newly acquired from the San Antonio Spurs before the trade deadline. It’s another battle of the bigs on Sunday, with two of the league’s top international stars likely to make the headlines.
