After defeating the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night behind Giannis Antetokounmpoโs career high 64 points, the Milwaukee Bucks have now won 11 straight home games.ย The Bucks will have a chance to extend that streak on Saturday, where they will take on the Detroit Pistons in Fiserv Forum.
The Pistons, who currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 2-22 record, are one of the least experienced teams in the league and havenโt quite found their chemistry as a unit.
The Last Matchup Between These Two Opponents Came Down to the Wire
While the Pistons have only won two games on the season, this game is not just a walk in the park.ย The last time these two teams faced off back in early November, it came down to the final minutes of regulation to decide a victor.ย The Bucks were able to close the Pistons out with a score of 120-118, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo getting ejected in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul.
Damian Lillard had 34 points in this matchup and stepped up in a big way with Antetokounmpo in the locker room.ย Bobby Portis also added 18 points and 5 rebounds off the bench in 23 minutes of action.
Cade Cunningham Dropped 33 Points in Previous Matchup versus the Milwaukee Bucks
Cade Cunningham got any shot he wanted this game, even if they werenโt falling.ย Cunningham had 33 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in the previous matchup and almost stole the win versus the Bucks.ย He is averaging 22 points and over 7 assists per game this season.ย If Milwaukee wants to keep their home win streak alive, limiting Cunningham offensively should be priority number one.
Rookie Marcus Sasser also stepped up big with multiple players out with injury for the Pistons, dropping 26 points and 6 rebounds shooting 11-17 off the bench in 29 minutes of action.
Pat Connaughton Set to Make His Return Saturday versus the Detroit Pistons
Pat Connaughton, who has missed the last six contests due to a right ankle sprain he suffered in a win versus the Miami Heat back in late November, practiced in full participation on Friday and is set to make his return versus Detroit on Saturday.ย Chris Livingston will also be available against Detroit after missing back-to-back games with an ankle sprain of his own.
Khris Middleton will be out for the contest versus the Pistons due to resting purposes.ย So, expect Connaughton, Livingston and MarJon Beauchamp to see extended minutes in Middletonโs absence.
Coverage for Saturdayโs contest will begin at 6:00 PM Eastern time at Fiserv Forum streaming live on NBA League Pass.ย This game starts the first half of a back-to-back for the Bucks, who take on the Houston Rockets the day after.
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