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Following an abysmal fourth quarter performance that saw them come out 120-97 losers against the Chicago Bulls last night, the Bucks get an immediate shot at redemption tonight against the Boston Celtics. It will be the sides’ third matchup of the season, with the Bucks winning their December meeting 116-101 on the back of 31 points from Kyle Kuzma and a triple-double from Kevin Porter Jr., and the Celtics taking the February matchup 107-79, led by Jaylen Brown’s 30-point, 13-rebound double-double and Anfernee Simons’ 27 points off the bench. Tonight’s game tips off at 6:30 p.m., with the Bucks donning their “Cream City” uniform that “celebrates the cream city bricks that our city was built with”—let’s just hope that doesn’t translate into their shooting.
Where We’re At
After an extended run of their best basketball of the season, the Bucks have lost their last two games by a combined 52 points. Their offence—potent over the winning run—has struggled, with the team failing to break 100 points in either game despite promising starts. Subsequently, their post-season goal has become a whole lot harder. The Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks—the teams immediately above the Bucks in the standings—are both on four-game winning streaks and sit four and five games, respectively, in front of the Bucks in the win column (two in front in the loss column). Needless to say, the Bucks need to rediscover their groove. Fast.
The Celtics, on the other hand, keep churning out Ws, winning eight of their last ten, including an absurd offensive display against the Brooklyn Nets where they shot an “astronomical 67% from the field and 65% from three.” Yesterday, the Celtics downed the Philadelphia 76ers 114-98 on the back of a career night from starting centre Neemias Queta, who finished with a career-high 27 points on 10/14 shooting, 17 rebounds (including 10 on the offensive glass), two assists, one steal, and three blocks. Boston, now 40-20 on the season, holds sole-possession of the Eastern Conference’s two seed in the standings and currently has the third best point differential in the entire league at +7.6. For the Bucks then, tonight is going to be tough. But even if they do fall again, all hope is not lost—Milwaukee’s recent 8-2 stretch came directly after a blowout loss to the Celtics.
Injury Report
With both sides on the second leg of a back-to-back, their official injury reports have not yet been submitted. However, for the Bucks, Giannis (calf), Taurean Prince (neck), and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (illness) likely remain out, while for the Celtics, Jayson Tatum also likely remains out as he continues his recovery from Achilles surgery.
Player to Watch
Cam Thomas introduced himself to the Bucks as a “bucket.” And for his first five games with the team that was true—he put up 18.4 PPG on 53% shooting from the field in just 20 minutes of action each night. However, in the four games since, he’s been more of a brick, hitting a paltry 10/36 (28%) of his attempts from the field, good for just 12.5 PPG. This inconsistency—along with his defensive limitations—is the reason he was readily available on the free agent market to begin with and the quintessential Cam Thomas experience. When he’s on, he’s nice; when he’s off, he hurts. So, trick or treat, which Thomas will the Bucks get tonight?
How To Watch
Tune in at 6:30 p.m. on Peacock or FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
