Bucks Zone

Game day preview and injury report: The Milwaukee Bucks visit the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Bucks are set to take on their division rival tonight.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

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Milwaukee BucksCleveland Cavaliers

The Milwaukee Bucks (22-8) are in Cleveland tonight and set to play the Cavaliers (21-11) in a battle between some of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Game preview

The Bucks are coming off an impressive offensive performance and big victory against the New Orleans Pelicans, and they will look to ride the momentum into their next game versus the Cavs.

This will be the third game of the season between these two division rivals, as Milwaukee has the 2-0 lead in the season series so far. But it will be anything but easy, with Cleveland being just a few games behind the Bucks in the hunt for the #1 seed.

Led by the dynamic backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell (29.3 ppg, 4.4 apg) and Darius Garland (20.7 ppg, 8.0 apg), Cleveland has really made a step forward into the elite group of Eastern Conference teams. Jrue Holiday and Jevon Carter will have their hands full.

To add to those two guys, the huge frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen is a rare example of a duo that can rival Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez down low.

The key to the win could be the three-point shooting, as both teams excel at defending the paint and closing lanes. The Cavs rank 8th in the entire NBA when it comes to shooting from deep, hitting 37% of their long-range bombs. With the dynamic backcourt and a couple of scorers like Kevin Love and Caris LeVert, Cleveland has a good offensive arsenal at their disposal.

Shooting has been pretty inconsistent for Milwaukee this season, but on every given night, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, or even Joe Ingles now can get hot and change the game. It will definitely be a fun battle between two great teams.

Injury report

Khris Middleton will probably miss his third straight game, as he is doubtful with knee soreness.

For the Cavs, Ricky Rubio (knee), Dean Wade (AC joint sprain), and Dylan Windler (ankle) are out, while Lamar Stevens is questionable with a knee injury.

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.