Bucks Zone

GAME DAY PREVIEW AND INJURY REPORT: The Milwaukee Bucks look to build their win streak versus the Miami Heat

The Bucks are in Florida tonight.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

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The Milwaukee Bucks play their second game in two nights as they visit Miami to play the Heat on Thursday night.

The Bucks are coming off a 114-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks. They are on a two-game winning streak and have won four of their last five games.

Milwaukee will cap its four-game road trip against the same Miami team on Saturday.

Coming off a big win in ATL

Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to a season-low nine points against Atlanta but was still a significant factor in the Bucks' 27th win of the season by contributing 18 rebounds and ten assists.

Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer was pleased with his star forward's performance despite his low-scoring night.

"I thought it was one of Giannis' best games without scoring," Budenholzer said. "I thought he trusted his teammates. He made a ton of great plays. For him to go to the boards, do everything else he does, and then find the willpower, the competitiveness to get a tough offensive rebound, not force it through a bunch of traffic."

Jrue Holiday led Milwaukee versus Atlanta with 27 points, while Brook Lopez added 20 points and 12 rebounds. Bobby Portis Jr. contributed 13 points, and ten boards as the Bucks recovered after squandering a 24-point third-quarter lead.

In the final three minutes, the Hawks stole the upper hand, 103-101, but the Bucks uncorked a 10-0 run to salvage the victory.

"Credit to our guys. We had a big lead, then a big comeback for Atlanta. A big punch from Atlanta. We were able to throw the last one and were able to finish it. Credit to our players," Budenholzer said.

Injury report

Khris Middleton (knee) will be out for the 14th straight game.

Serge Ibaka is also out for the Bucks for personal reasons, while Grayson Allen is listed day-to-day against Miami. He left in the first half of their game against Atlanta due to sprained right ankle.

Kyle Lowry (knee), Caleb Martin (quadriceps), and Dewayne Dedmon (suspension) are out for the Heat.

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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.