Bucks 9pm CST Start Time (TNT)
The 34-17 Milwaukee Bucks take on the 29-25 Los Angeles Clippers at the Fiserv Forum in Downtown Milwaukee late Thursday Night. The game has a later tip-off (9pm) because it is being broadcast nationally on TNT. Tuck the kids in, call up a buddy and call in sick to work for this one! It’ll be a nice start to the weekend. Right now it looks like everyone is playing.
The Bucks have had a nice week at home here with a win against Charlotte, tonight’s game, and finally, against the Miami Heat Saturday at home. Milwaukee begins a West-Coast road trip on Feb. 6th, concluding on Feb. 10th against these same Clippers. The Bucks are on a five game winning streak.
Vegas has the Bucks as 4 point favorites with a 58% chance to win. Milwaukee is on a tear offensively.
This is the first time this season these two teams will play.
Related: Robert Covington a Potential Trade Target
The Keys to a Bucks Win
Score over 118 points
Milwaukee and their offense is back! This offense is hot. Over the past five games the Bucks have averaged 131.4 points. That is about as good as we’ve seen. It is NBA regular season basketball where defense can feel non-existent at times.
In this space we really have figured it out- the magic number is 118. Charlotte scores 115, we score more and win. In Milwaukee’s most recent loss to Cleveland they held them to 114 points. So, had the Bucks managed to score 118 points they would have won. However, they only scored 102. That’s not 118.
Milwaukee averages 60 points in the first half in games at home. That’s 7th in the NBA. 118 is really starting to feel like a “magic number”.
Pass the Basketball
The Bucks average 24.8 assists per game. That is right in the middle of the NBA-17th overall. When the Bucks move the ball around, they win. Jrue leads the team in assists. But don’t discount when Khris Middleton and Joe Ingles make great passes. It really drives the offense.
Take the recent game against Denver. They were out “assisted” by Denver 22-16. The Bucks won, sure, but to only have 16 assists isn’t very good. And of course, Denver was playing the “B” squad.
When Milwaukee makes the extra pass, they look like an NBA Champion.
Related: Brook Lopez joins list of elite shot blockers
The Opponent: The LA Clippers
Paul George is a really good player. Averaging 23 a game, George is long and rangy. He’s a very balanced presence, averaging 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game as well. George is scoring above his career average (20.3 points per game).
Kawhi Leonard is also a really, really good player. When healthy. He’s averaging 21/6/4. He plays basically the same position as George. Kawhi is 6’ 7”; George is 6’8” but George is a shooting guard while Leonard is a small forward?
What is so interesting is how well they compliment each other given that they basically play the same position. John Wall (when healthy) or for this game Reggie Jackson brings the ball up, those two spread out, attack either the baseline or the key and score at will.
George makes $44 million a season. Leonard makes $43 million a season. The similarities go on.
The rest of the Clippers are an interesting mix. The aforementioned Reggie Jackson is not having all that great of a year. 11/2/3. It is odd to have your point guard be 4th on your team in assists.
Marcus Morris Sr. (out for this game) is having a good year, and again, plays small forward. Norman Powell is in the same boat. (16/3/2) And again, plays small forward.
I guess the takeaway here is that Ivica Zubac really stands tall and out (7’0” Center). He seems to be the only player they have, other than Luke Kenard and Reggie Jackson, who isn’t a shooting guard/small forward 6′ 7″ type that can slash and score. Zubac is a brute of a player. He won’t shoot threes and he’ll bang around inside with Lopez and Giannis all game long.
Things to tell your buddies as you are watching the game
- The Bucks lead the All-Time Series 69-54.
- That was the 4th warmest January on record. (Per CBS Meteorologist Sam Kuffel)
- The LA Lakers relocated from Minnesota in 1960. The LA Clippers relocated from San Diego in 1984.
- The series between the Lakers and Clippers is called the “hallway series” because they share the same stadium. That stadium is named the Cyrpto.com arena.
- Be careful buying crypto. It is not usually backed by the FDIC. But I think I read Coinbase is insured? Might wanna ask your buddy.
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