Tip-Off: 6 PM CST
Location: BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI)
Television: FSOK
Radio: The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game
Game Thread: Join in on the chat here
Player to Watch
F-G Giannis Antetkounmpo is a 6’11” point forward (point guard/forward hybrid), and he’s a very capable scorer from basically anywhere inside the arc. “The Greek Freak” is the leader for the Milwaukee Bucks in every major statistical category. Antetkounmpo is averaging 23.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. He is also tied for 14th in the league with 14 double-doubles, and he is 4th in the league in triple-doubles with 2. Because “the Greek Freak” plays point guard for the Bucks, it is unknown who will guard him, but Domantas Sabonis will likely draw the match up, if he is up to the task.
Keys to the Game
- Start Strong: The Bucks are 10-7 at home, and while Milwaukee is not known for its loud crowd, this is a young and exciting team to watch. Also, fans will be primed and ready for a great Monday night matchup against the Thunder as the Bucks return from a 4-game road trip. Oklahoma City needs to start the game strong as they cannot afford to get down early against a team that is capable of putting up solid points at home.
- Protect the Paint: Milwaukee and Oklahoma City are ranked 1st and 2nd respectively in points in the paint, and they are the only teams in the NBA that average at least 50 points per game down low. Oklahoma City has been extremely effective lately getting Steven Adams and Enes Kanter involved in the offense, and they will need to continue to do so tonight against a Milwaukee team that loves to push the ball down low and score.
- Control the Tempo: Like the Thunder, the Bucks love to get out and run in transition. Oklahoma City ranks 4th in the league in fast break points with 16.6 per game while Milwaukee ranks 5th with 15.8 fast break points per game. Both teams do a pretty solid job at defending in transition, so this will likely be an area where success will lead to a victory. Russell Westbrook is arguably the fastest guy in the NBA, so he will look to get out and run against Antetkounmpo and the Bucks.
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram.