Milwaukee Bucks fans are ready for more daylight: Happy Winter Solstice!
The (20-7) Milwaukee Bucks take on the (16-10) Orlando Magic Thursday Night at home at the beer keg. This promises to be a fun one after the Bucks had a nice team win vs the Spurs Tuesday night (132-119). The schedule makers have been very kind to the Bucks on this one: Orlando is on a back-to-back. They lost last night to the Heat.
All in all, Milwaukee remains the number two seed. (Orlando is 4 and dropping.) And they are continuing to sharpen their game, getting rotations and minutes in order before the big Christmas Showcase game push against the Knicks.
Happy Holidays!
This is the first time Orlando and Milwaukee will play this season.
For Orlando, Paolo Banchero has truly established himself as the face of the franchise. He leads the team in the three major categories: points, rebounds and assists. (21/6/4) He’ll play and keeping him off his shot will be a major key to victory for the Bucks.
Related: Bucks Trade Targets
Milwaukee Bucks keys to victory
Play Some D: Keep the Magic below 115 points scored
Orlando struggled at times on offense against Boston. They were swept in two straight games in the Garden, losing game one (128-111) and then losing game two (114-97).
In the win against the Spurs the Bucks gave up 119 points. And it shouldn’t have even been that much.
So, if Milwaukee can “stay on schedule” and keep the Magic to under 58 points in the first half, that would bode well for a Bucks victory. They can do that by playing more aggressively, taking away the spacing of Magic players, closing out on shots and doing the next thing: control the glass.
Box Out: Win the Rebound Battle
Milwaukee is an above-average rebounding team. Orlando is worse (tied for 18th in the league in team rebounding). For the Milwaukee Bucks you have to make sure to box out and grab those rebounds!
Milwaukee currently averages 44 team rebounds a game, tied for 12th overall in the NBA. If the Bucks box-out and keep a pesky Orlando team off of the offensive glass, this bodes well for a Bucks win. Giannis leads the team in rebounding (11.1 per game). That is currently 6th in the NBA.
The Opponent: The Orlando Magic
Former Bucks Joe Ingles plays for Orlando. He has been a little banged up this season and might not play in this game. Right now for the Magic he averages 18 minutes a game and 5 points per contest. His best game had to have been against Washington on Dec. 1st. Ingles scored 17 points
We wondered this offseason if the Bucks should bring him back? Hindsight, of course, being 20/20.
Paolo Banchero averages 21 a game. The former first overall pick is budding into an NBA Superstar. Paolo is also the team’s top rebounder (41st in the NBA). That speaks more to Orlando lacking a Brook Lopez-type player than anything else.
Franz Wagner is second on the team in scoring (20 points a game).
Markelle Fultz is really turning his season around. However it appears like he is out for this game.
Jalen Suggs is 5th in the NBA in steals (1.8 per game). He is having a breakout season. He also averages 12.4 points per game.
Things to tell your friends as you are watching the game
- Shaquille O’Neal was taken with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. Christian Laettner was selected 3rd in that draft.
- Andrew Bogut was selected with the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Chris Paul went 4th that year.
- Could Bobby Portis be a serious candidate for 6th man of the year? Vegas has Portis at +7,000 to win the award meaning if you bet $10, you’d win $700.
- The Bucks have played the Magic 125 times. Milwaukee leads the all-time series 71-54.
Follow me on Twitter at @authorrudylb and check out my other writings at www.rudylb.com. Follow us at @WiSportsHeroics! For all things Wisconsin sports, click here! Also, check out our merch store for some amazing WSH merchandise!
