Thursday Night NBA Action- Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets Preview
The (44-25) Milwaukee Bucks take on the (26-43) Brooklyn (New Jersey/Jay-Z) Nets Thursday night at home at the “beer keg”- the Fiserv forum. The Bucks are a much-different (and better) team at home. This one should be rockin!
This will be the third and final time these two teams will play this season with the Bucks winning game one (129-125) in Brooklyn and winning game two (144-122): also in Brooklyn. Tonight the Bucks will go for the season sweep.
Related: Why the Bucks could not overcome a Celtics Win
The party’s over in Brooklyn. They have now lost four in a row. If the playoff started tomorrow the Nets would be on the outside looking in. (They are currently the 11th seed in the East and are 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.) It is very unlikely they will make the playoffs. According to Playoffstatus.com, the Nets have a less than 1% chance to make it.
For this game, the Bucks are favored by 9 and have a 78% chance to win.
Related: Bucks stay cool while the Eastern Conference Implodes
Milwaukee Bucks Keys to Victory
Play like you’ve playing a bad team
Milwaukee beat Phoenix on Sunday at home by playing with more defensive energy than the Suns. The Suns are a “way better” team than Brooklyn; therefore, Milwaukee should crush the Nets.
Of course we all know this isn’t how the NBA actually works.
This is the part of the season where you have to be hopeful that your team can rise up above the competition. Milwaukee needs to not “play down” to this opponent. If Milwaukee can get out to a fast start-say a 7 point first quarter lead- that would bode well for the Bucks.
Milwaukee has made all the right moves in setting up this championship run. By adding Pat Beverly, by not trading Bobby Portis, and with the return of Khris Middleton, the trade deadline has given this roster the “pick-up” that was needed.
Hit some threes
Milwaukee was on fire in shooting the three against Phoenix. They went 24-41 from behind the arc. (54%) For this game they need to shoot the same. If they do, this game might be over at halftime.
How about a 7/11 night from Dame Lillard? What about four or five threes from Malik Beasley? If a few guys can get hot from three, this game could really swing to the Bucks.
Play to your home court advantage!
Milwaukee is 27-7 at home. That is really good. In fact, it is the 4th best record in the NBA.
It has been fun researching if the Nets, do in fact, get any type of home court advantage. Similar to So-Fi stadium in LA, rumors abound that the Barclay’s center can be quiet as a church mouse. The Nets have never had a tremendous advantage there, record-wise.
For Milwaukee, get off to a fast start and bury this team at home!
The Opponent: The Nets
What is going on with this team? Are they trying to be good? Are they trying to tank after having fired their coach, a pretty decent one in Jacques Vaughn? I’m just not sure.
With Ben Simmons hurt, there is not much left from this franchise from the Irving/Durant/Harden era.
Otherwise, you’d have to think Brooklyn is building for the future. Cam Thomas leads this team in scoring. (21.5 points per game) He takes a ton of shots and his ability to shoot at a decent clip will have a major impact on the game.
Mikal Bridges seems to be “da man”. He is second on the team in scoring and appears to be a player this franchise can build around. In his last ten games he has been shooting really well from 3 (44.5%).
Cam Johnson is very similar. It was clear that if the Suns were going to go get Durant they wouldn’t need Bridges or Johnson. Also, it was rumored that Johnson taking over his starting role was the reason JAe Crowder sat out with the Suns.
Spencer Dinwiddle is the new-”old” point guard. (He is on his second stint with the Nets.) His numbers are good (15/6/4). But he will turn the ball over. (2.3 a game)
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Things to tell your buddy as you are watching the game
The Bucks have fallen to 3rd overall in the NBA in team scoring. (120.7) Honestly, they look better now at 3rd then they did at 1st.
- Brooklyn, as a team, averages 111.8 points per game. Also, as a team, they give up 113.6 points per game. That’s not what you’d like to see.
- Brook Lopez is the Nets all-time leading scorer with 10,444 points.
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