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Milwaukee is 13-8 overall, 4-6 on the road, and 4-4 in their last 8. Obviously they're much better at home where they are 9-2.
The Bucks beat the Cavs a month ago 100-90, but the teams are much different now. Giannis was out that game and the Cavs' starters were Dotson, Okoro, Cedi, Nance, and Drummond - no point guard. Maker, Stevens, McGee, and Wade combined for 13 points and no assists in 54 minutes. Both teams should be a lot better tonight.
Khris Middleton was 10-for-16 for 27 points. Drummond had a monster game with 26 points and 24 boards to keep the Cavs competitive but he had 6 turnovers and missed 13 shots.
The Bucks are coming off a 130-110 win over Indiana Wednesday. The game was not that close; the Bucks were up 34 after three quarters. Giannis was +30. From brewhoop.com:
Milwaukee has scored over 100 points in the three quarters in the last two games, and a big reason for that is the improved play from Giannis Antetokounmpo...
Bobby brings it every night, and his February has been off to an even better start. Portis both learned what Reddit is and is averaging 19.5 points per game, 8.5 rebounds and shooting 70% from three in the month so far. He is going to have his handful with Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen but Portis’ offense will be needed, similar to his 17 point 11 rebound effort against the Cavs the last time.
Middleton is having a great year shooting 51.5% overall and 45.5% on 3's. Giannis has a line of 27.0/11.2/6.0.
The Bucks are 2nd in scoring at 121.0 ppg. They're shooting 40% on 3's as a team and they take a lot of them, ranking 5th at over 39 per game. They're similar to the Clippers in that they score a lot and shoot 3's very well. The Cavs are 6th in scoring defense so it will be strength against strength when the Bucks have the ball. However, Nance is out so that will impact the Cavs' defense.
The Bucks lead the NBA in fast break points per game. They're only 24th in forcing turnovers so most of their fast breaks are off rebounds. They rank 2nd in defensive rebound percentage so from the stats it appears they excel at getting the defensive rebound and blowing it up the floor. The Cavs need to avoid missing layups and having the shooter either fall down or end up well past the baseline or it's going to be a 5-on-4 break and likely an open 3-pointer.
Drummond has been falling down on missed shots in an attempt to get a whistle, but that's not helping. The Cavs need to be very focused on transition defense.
The Bucks are 27th in free throws per offensive play so it seems they like to shoot 3's or mid-range shots. They don't draw many fouls.
One problem the Cavs could have, besides containing the fast breaks, is preventing second chance points. The Bucks rank 7th in offensive rebound percentage while the Cavs rank 29th in defensive rebound percentage. When the Bucks shoot the Cavs need to block out and hit the glass or they will be in trouble.
When the Cavs have the ball they're 29th in scoring while the Bucks are 20th in scoring defense, so it's a bad offense against a below average defense. The Bucks rank 25th in opponents' 3-point percentage so the Cavs should try to get off some shots from deep. They need to do more of that anyway so they might as well start tonight and tomorrow.
The Bucks are easily the better team and they have no injuries while the Cavs are missing Love and Nance. Sexton is listed as day-to-day so he may not play tonight. Not much reason to be optimistic about these next two games. The Bucks have five players averaging in double figures in scoring. They have a superstar, a star, and a lot of guys who can play.
The Bucks beat the Cavs a month ago 100-90, but the teams are much different now. Giannis was out that game and the Cavs' starters were Dotson, Okoro, Cedi, Nance, and Drummond - no point guard. Maker, Stevens, McGee, and Wade combined for 13 points and no assists in 54 minutes. Both teams should be a lot better tonight.
Khris Middleton was 10-for-16 for 27 points. Drummond had a monster game with 26 points and 24 boards to keep the Cavs competitive but he had 6 turnovers and missed 13 shots.
The Bucks are coming off a 130-110 win over Indiana Wednesday. The game was not that close; the Bucks were up 34 after three quarters. Giannis was +30. From brewhoop.com:
Milwaukee has scored over 100 points in the three quarters in the last two games, and a big reason for that is the improved play from Giannis Antetokounmpo...
Bobby brings it every night, and his February has been off to an even better start. Portis both learned what Reddit is and is averaging 19.5 points per game, 8.5 rebounds and shooting 70% from three in the month so far. He is going to have his handful with Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen but Portis’ offense will be needed, similar to his 17 point 11 rebound effort against the Cavs the last time.
Middleton is having a great year shooting 51.5% overall and 45.5% on 3's. Giannis has a line of 27.0/11.2/6.0.
The Bucks are 2nd in scoring at 121.0 ppg. They're shooting 40% on 3's as a team and they take a lot of them, ranking 5th at over 39 per game. They're similar to the Clippers in that they score a lot and shoot 3's very well. The Cavs are 6th in scoring defense so it will be strength against strength when the Bucks have the ball. However, Nance is out so that will impact the Cavs' defense.
The Bucks lead the NBA in fast break points per game. They're only 24th in forcing turnovers so most of their fast breaks are off rebounds. They rank 2nd in defensive rebound percentage so from the stats it appears they excel at getting the defensive rebound and blowing it up the floor. The Cavs need to avoid missing layups and having the shooter either fall down or end up well past the baseline or it's going to be a 5-on-4 break and likely an open 3-pointer.
Drummond has been falling down on missed shots in an attempt to get a whistle, but that's not helping. The Cavs need to be very focused on transition defense.
The Bucks are 27th in free throws per offensive play so it seems they like to shoot 3's or mid-range shots. They don't draw many fouls.
One problem the Cavs could have, besides containing the fast breaks, is preventing second chance points. The Bucks rank 7th in offensive rebound percentage while the Cavs rank 29th in defensive rebound percentage. When the Bucks shoot the Cavs need to block out and hit the glass or they will be in trouble.
When the Cavs have the ball they're 29th in scoring while the Bucks are 20th in scoring defense, so it's a bad offense against a below average defense. The Bucks rank 25th in opponents' 3-point percentage so the Cavs should try to get off some shots from deep. They need to do more of that anyway so they might as well start tonight and tomorrow.
The Bucks are easily the better team and they have no injuries while the Cavs are missing Love and Nance. Sexton is listed as day-to-day so he may not play tonight. Not much reason to be optimistic about these next two games. The Bucks have five players averaging in double figures in scoring. They have a superstar, a star, and a lot of guys who can play.
