It was an impressive showing from a Giannis-less Milwaukee Bucks last night, as Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis combined for 56 points in a 122-119 defeat to the Boston Celtics.
The team won’t have much time to process the loss, as they will have the Brooklyn Nets on tap for the third time this season. This will be the first and only time these two teams will play in Milwaukee, as the Bucks won the previous two on the road in Brooklyn, a tight 129-125 victory on Nov. 6 and a decisive 144-122 win on Dec. 27.
Where We’re At
The 13 games after the All-Star break for the Bucks haven’t made it easier to try and figure out what this team is. Are they the team that started 6-0, taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Clippers? Or are they the team that has gone 3-4 since Mar. 4 with blowout losses to the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings? It’s hard to say, but the performance against the Celtics on the road without Giannis should inspire some hope for the final 12 games of the regular season, with the Bucks sitting at 44-25 and second place in the East. The bench, especially Bobby Portis, provided some outstanding play against the Celtics and tried to fill the void left by Antetokounmpo. Although I wouldn’t expect Portis to drop 24 points again, that same efficiency (11-for-20, 55%) when Giannis returns will be invaluable during the playoffs.
After making it to the playoffs as the sixth seed last year, the Nets have completely bottomed out, sitting at 11th in the East, 5.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks. Most of that 2022-23 record was carried by the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving before they were traded, but the sentiment was that the Nets had an emerging star in Mikal Bridges to build around and could make the playoffs again. Barring a collapse by the Hawks and two wins in the Play-In tournament, that will not happen, with the Nets sitting at 26-43. Brooklyn has lost four in a row and six of their last seven by an average of 10 points per game. Two of those losses have come against two of the bottom three teams in the East: the Charlotte Hornets on Mar. 9 and the Detriot Pistons on Mar. 7.
Injury Report
As of the writing of this article, the Bucks have not submitted an injury report. Stay tuned for updates.
The Nets will have to play without one of their better defenders, as Dorian Finney-Smith will miss this contest with left ankle soreness. They will also be without combo forward Ben Simmons (lower left back impingement) and guard Dariq Whitehead (stress reaction on the left shin). Starting center Nic Claxton is listed as questionable with a non-Covid illness.
Player to Watch
Former LSU Tiger Cam Thomas is someone the Bucks’ perimeter defenders will have to key in on. One of the streakiest offensive players in the league, his six games in March have been some of his best all season, averaging a season-high 26.5 points while shooting 47.5% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc. Outside of his shooting display, Thomas is getting to the free throw line at the highest rate all season at 5.5 attempts per game.
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