The Milwaukee Bucks had a rocky start to the season, but they’ve largely righted the ship. Led by perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, a resurgent Damian Lillard, and a cast of players that have been incredibly efficient shooting the 3, Milwaukee this year has a borderline top 10 offense (currently 11th) and the 9th ranked defense per 100 possessions. While there’s still a lot of season left, the Bucks do seem destined to rank no higher than 4th in the standings out East, thanks in part to the surprising year Cleveland is having and the largely-expected success of the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. Though they won the NBA’s in-season tournament, the ultimate goal for a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber remains the Larry O’Brian trophy, and they’re certainly a team that no one would want to see in the playoffs.
For the Spurs, a brutal January schedule has yielded just 3 wins. They’ve struggled to find any sort of consistency, all too often falling apart in the 2nd half of games. It’s tough to keep in mind at times that basically none of the players on the roster really know anything about playing winning basketball, and it’s definitely been on display this month. Maybe a big trade before the deadline shakes things up and changes their current trajectory, but what they really need is for Victor Wembanyama to play like the best player on the court night in and night out.
San Antonio Spurs (20-24) vs Milwaukee Bucks (26-19)
January 31 2025 | 7:00 PM CT
Watch: KENS | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Sidy Cissoko, concussion (questionable)
Bucks Injuries: Giannis Antetokounmpo, knee (probable), Khris Middleton, ankle (probable), Bobby Portis, personal (OUT), AJ Green, quad (questionable)
What to watch for
- Newly named All Star Victor Wembanyama was uncharacteristically timid on offense when these two clubs met earlier this month in Milwaukee. Wemby attempted just 10 shots that game in 33 minutes, his second lowest total of the season, and made no trips to the free throw line that game either. Milwaukee possesses a formidable defensive backline with the combination of Giannis and Brook Lopez, with Giannis in particular appearing to take the match-up personally in that first meeting. Antetokounmpo possesses the rare combination of length, height, and athleticism to truly guard Wemby out on the perimeter, as well as inside the 3-point line. Can Wemby match him tonight?
- Damian Lillard has had a much stronger 2nd season in Milwaukee and is looking much more comfortable playing next to Antetokounmpo as well. At 34 years old, Lillard remains an offensive threat that is more than capable of going off on any given night. He’s shooting 38% from 3, up from the 35% that he shot last year, and is averaging numbers across the board that are in line or better in some cases with his career averages.
- Chris Paul hasn’t scored more than 13 points in a game since he poured in 18 in San Antonio’s last meeting with Milwaukee. It’s not really realistic to expect the nearly 40-year old Paul to be the dominating force on offense that he once was, but if he’s going to be getting significant minutes the Spurs need him to at least be as efficient as possible.
- Injuries appear to have taken away what was the the best of Khris Middleton. One of the heroes of Milwaukee’s run to the championship 4 years ago, Middleton has struggled with injuries ever since. He’s come off the bench for Milwaukee for much of this season, appearing in only 21 games and averaging roughly 23 minutes in those contests. He’s scored 0 points in 2 of his last 3 games, both losses for Milwaukee.
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