Bucks Zone

Game day preview and injury report: The Milwaukee Bucks host the Washington Wizards

The Bucks are looking to start off the new year with a win.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

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The Milwaukee Bucks (23-12) are hosting the Washington Wizards (16-21) tonight at the Fiserv Forum in what will be their first game of 2023.

Game preview

The Bucks managed to end their 4-game losing streak last time around, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves and getting back to winning ways. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on fire, breaking various records and posting absurd stat lines lately. The Greek Freak is a huge candidate for the MVP award, and if he keeps up this kind of play, he could win his third Most Valuable Player trophy.

All that is a huge byproduct of Giannis playing without Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton more often than he would like, and tonight could be more of the same. Luckily the two big men in Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis Jr. have proven they got the ability to step up and give valuable production.

The Wizards started the season solidly, looking like a legit playoff team in the Eastern Conference. But they started stumbling after that, even notching 10 losses in a row at one point. But they have stabilized late, winning their last four games and looking to rise out of the 12th seed in the East.

The Wizards are led by a revitalized Kristaps Porzingis (22.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg), the always-dangerous Bradley Beal (23.5 ppg, 5.2 apg), and the flashy Kyle Kuzma (21.7 ppg, 7.5rpg). Supported by a solid all-around roster, Washington has the talent, and they look compatible when clicking right.

But when things go south, everything crashes, and the Wizards go into deep holes that usually ruin their seasons. If they find some consistency, they could be a playoff team and a dangerous opponent in the wide-open Eastern Conference.

Injury report

Khris Middleton (knee) and Jrue Holiday (illness, calf) are out tonight, while George Hill (illness) is questionable.

For Washington, Bradley Beal (hamstring) and Taj Gibson (groin) are both questionable for the game tonight.

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.