Bucks Face Second Night Of Back-To-Back
By Dan Bruno
The Atlanta Hawks play host to the Milwaukee Bucks at State Farm Arena on Thursday evening.
This marks the second game of back-to-back for the Bucks (34-20), as they are coming off a dominant win in Minnesota on Wednesday. Despite missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks got out to a good start in the contest and led by 17, at halftime. They did not let up in the third quarter, as they poured in 45 points, pushing the deficit to 27, heading into the final frame. They had no trouble in the fourth and cruised to a second straight win. Khris Middleton led the way with 27 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal, in 25 minutes. Brook Lopez added 18 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Jrue Holiday tallied 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Bucks will look to keep rolling and add to their, 16-12, road record, as they face the third and final game of a road trip. Antetokounmpo (knee) remains questionable for action.
Meanwhile, the Hawks (30-25) have won seven of their last 10 games, including their last three in a row. They will look to keep it rolling and add to their, 14-10, home record, as they face the first game of a three-game home stand. John Collins (ankle) will remain sidelined through Thursday's action. Trae Young (calf) has missed the last two games and remains questionable for action. Clint Capela continues to play well, as he is averaging 15.4 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, while Danilo Gallinari is averaging 13.4 points and 4.1 rebounds. Bogdan Bogdanovic has been playing great lately, averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals, over the last 10 games. The Hawks are averaging 113.3 points per game, and they are doing a good job on the defensive end, holding opponents to an average of 111.2 points per game, and 46.1 percent shooting from the field.
This marks the second game of back-to-back for the Bucks (34-20), as they are coming off a dominant win in Minnesota on Wednesday. Despite missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks got out to a good start in the contest and led by 17, at halftime. They did not let up in the third quarter, as they poured in 45 points, pushing the deficit to 27, heading into the final frame. They had no trouble in the fourth and cruised to a second straight win. Khris Middleton led the way with 27 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal, in 25 minutes. Brook Lopez added 18 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Jrue Holiday tallied 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Bucks will look to keep rolling and add to their, 16-12, road record, as they face the third and final game of a road trip. Antetokounmpo (knee) remains questionable for action.
Meanwhile, the Hawks (30-25) have won seven of their last 10 games, including their last three in a row. They will look to keep it rolling and add to their, 14-10, home record, as they face the first game of a three-game home stand. John Collins (ankle) will remain sidelined through Thursday's action. Trae Young (calf) has missed the last two games and remains questionable for action. Clint Capela continues to play well, as he is averaging 15.4 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, while Danilo Gallinari is averaging 13.4 points and 4.1 rebounds. Bogdan Bogdanovic has been playing great lately, averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals, over the last 10 games. The Hawks are averaging 113.3 points per game, and they are doing a good job on the defensive end, holding opponents to an average of 111.2 points per game, and 46.1 percent shooting from the field.
Cavaliers Host Warriors on Thursday
The Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Golden State Warriors at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Thursday.
The Warriors (27-28) just had one of the most impressive performances of the season on Wednesday, throttling the Oklahoma City Thunder, 147-109. While it might be easy to beat the Thunder at this point of the season, dropping 147 points on anyone is not an easy task. They actually had 125 points through three quarters which is one of the highest totals in the modern NBA. Stephen Curry was feeling it once again, and he's got his average up to nearly 40 points per game since returning from injury two weeks ago. Draymond Green has been equally as important, recording 16 assists in that win and leading the league in that category since the beginning of March.
The Cavaliers (20-34) have been playing a little better recently, winning three of their last five games coming into this matchup. The direct correlation with this run is the fact that they're finally starting to get healthy. Kevin Love, Larry Nance, and Jarrett Allen have all returned in that stretch, and they obviously give this club a different dynamic in the frontcourt. The issue remains the same, though, and it's the offense. The Cavaliers currently own the worst scoring average in the NBA, averaging just 104 points per game. That might have been good 10 years ago, but that's a terrible mark in today's NBA. The good news is that there's a lot of young talent to get excited about in Cleveland, but the final month is going to be a long one with this never-ending rebuild still going on.
These teams played back on February 15, with Golden State dominating, 129-98. That actually gives the Warriors seven straight wins in this series dating back four years.
The Warriors (27-28) just had one of the most impressive performances of the season on Wednesday, throttling the Oklahoma City Thunder, 147-109. While it might be easy to beat the Thunder at this point of the season, dropping 147 points on anyone is not an easy task. They actually had 125 points through three quarters which is one of the highest totals in the modern NBA. Stephen Curry was feeling it once again, and he's got his average up to nearly 40 points per game since returning from injury two weeks ago. Draymond Green has been equally as important, recording 16 assists in that win and leading the league in that category since the beginning of March.
The Cavaliers (20-34) have been playing a little better recently, winning three of their last five games coming into this matchup. The direct correlation with this run is the fact that they're finally starting to get healthy. Kevin Love, Larry Nance, and Jarrett Allen have all returned in that stretch, and they obviously give this club a different dynamic in the frontcourt. The issue remains the same, though, and it's the offense. The Cavaliers currently own the worst scoring average in the NBA, averaging just 104 points per game. That might have been good 10 years ago, but that's a terrible mark in today's NBA. The good news is that there's a lot of young talent to get excited about in Cleveland, but the final month is going to be a long one with this never-ending rebuild still going on.
These teams played back on February 15, with Golden State dominating, 129-98. That actually gives the Warriors seven straight wins in this series dating back four years.
Celtics and Lakers Meet Out West
The Boston Celtics take on the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Thursday night.
The Celtics (29-26) are in the midst of what is arguably their best stretch of play entering Thursday's game, as they've notched four straight wins and prevailed in eight of their last 11 contests. Their most recent success just came Tuesday night, when they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by a 116-115 score. Jayson Tatum led the way with 32 points, adding nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Jaylen Brown supplied 24 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. Kemba Walker provided 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal. Robert Williams turned in 16 points, seven boards and four assists. Marcus Smart contributed 13 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block.
The Celtics will remain without Evan Fournier (COVID-19 protocol) on Thursday.
The Lakers (34-21) have been fighting to keep their collective heads above water without their two biggest stars, and they'll check into Thursday's game by evenly alternating wins and losses over the last eight contests. Their most recent time on the floor resulted in one of those wins, as Los Angeles prevailed over the Charlotte Hornets by a 101-93 score. Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 24 points, adding four rebounds and one assist. Dennis Schroder offered 19 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Alex Caruso delivered 13 points, six assists, two rebounds and one steal. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope compiled nine points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
The Lakers will list Schroder (pelvis), Wesley Matthews (Achilles), Kuzma (calf) and Andre Drummond (toe) as probable for Thursday's game. Markieff Morris (ankle) will carry a probable tag. LeBron James (ankle), Anthony Davis (calf) and Jared Dudley (knee) will all remain out.
Thursday's contest marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Lakers hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 96-95 win Jan. 30.
The Celtics (29-26) are in the midst of what is arguably their best stretch of play entering Thursday's game, as they've notched four straight wins and prevailed in eight of their last 11 contests. Their most recent success just came Tuesday night, when they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by a 116-115 score. Jayson Tatum led the way with 32 points, adding nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Jaylen Brown supplied 24 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. Kemba Walker provided 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal. Robert Williams turned in 16 points, seven boards and four assists. Marcus Smart contributed 13 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block.
The Celtics will remain without Evan Fournier (COVID-19 protocol) on Thursday.
The Lakers (34-21) have been fighting to keep their collective heads above water without their two biggest stars, and they'll check into Thursday's game by evenly alternating wins and losses over the last eight contests. Their most recent time on the floor resulted in one of those wins, as Los Angeles prevailed over the Charlotte Hornets by a 101-93 score. Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 24 points, adding four rebounds and one assist. Dennis Schroder offered 19 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Alex Caruso delivered 13 points, six assists, two rebounds and one steal. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope compiled nine points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
The Lakers will list Schroder (pelvis), Wesley Matthews (Achilles), Kuzma (calf) and Andre Drummond (toe) as probable for Thursday's game. Markieff Morris (ankle) will carry a probable tag. LeBron James (ankle), Anthony Davis (calf) and Jared Dudley (knee) will all remain out.
Thursday's contest marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Lakers hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 96-95 win Jan. 30.
Suns Host Kings on Thursday
The Phoenix Suns play host to the Sacramento Kings at Phoenix Suns Arena on Thursday.
The Kings (22-33) enter this matchup in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, disintegrating any hopes that had to reach the postseason. The most recent loss was particularly telling, being beaten by the Washington Wizards, 123-111 on Wednesday. They allowed the Wizards to shoot over 50 percent from the field, and it's really no surprise when you see that the Kings rank dead-last in total defense. What really made that loss even more embarrassing is the fact that they forced 24 turnovers from Washington. That alone should get you a guaranteed win but being outrebounded by nearly 25 boards is yet another telling sign of where this team is at right now.
The Suns (39-15) continue to scorch their opponents, owning one of the best records in the NBA over the last two months. In fact, they started with an 8-8 record and have gone on to win 31 of 38 games since then. That's a truly absurd stretch, and it shows just how much this organization has grown in one year. It all started with a perfect 8-0 bubble run, which got Chris Paul to join this team in the offseason. His acquisition has really changed the culture of this club, and he's added a dynamic they haven't had since the Steve Nash era. The thing he's really brought is a defensive presence, with Phoenix ranked Top-10 in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
These teams played a back-to-back set on December 26-27, splitting those two meetings. They actually split their four-game season series last year as well, but Phoenix enters as a big favorite here.
The Kings (22-33) enter this matchup in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, disintegrating any hopes that had to reach the postseason. The most recent loss was particularly telling, being beaten by the Washington Wizards, 123-111 on Wednesday. They allowed the Wizards to shoot over 50 percent from the field, and it's really no surprise when you see that the Kings rank dead-last in total defense. What really made that loss even more embarrassing is the fact that they forced 24 turnovers from Washington. That alone should get you a guaranteed win but being outrebounded by nearly 25 boards is yet another telling sign of where this team is at right now.
The Suns (39-15) continue to scorch their opponents, owning one of the best records in the NBA over the last two months. In fact, they started with an 8-8 record and have gone on to win 31 of 38 games since then. That's a truly absurd stretch, and it shows just how much this organization has grown in one year. It all started with a perfect 8-0 bubble run, which got Chris Paul to join this team in the offseason. His acquisition has really changed the culture of this club, and he's added a dynamic they haven't had since the Steve Nash era. The thing he's really brought is a defensive presence, with Phoenix ranked Top-10 in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
These teams played a back-to-back set on December 26-27, splitting those two meetings. They actually split their four-game season series last year as well, but Phoenix enters as a big favorite here.