The Milwaukee Bucks hit the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a game that will feature two of the NBA’s brightest young stars. The Bucks lead the Eastern Conference by 6.5 games, while the Pelicans are trying to fight back into the playoff hunt in the West.
Despite having 22 more wins than their opponents ahead of this matchup, this will certainly be no cakewalk for the league’s top team. Milwaukee has been tough for teams all around the NBA this season, giving fits to the best of them.
Pat Connaughton, having a strong year off the bench, will be taking his talents to the dunk contest, while Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo will both represent the team in the All-Star Game for the second season in a row. It’s good to see them get these chances.
New Orleans, as mentioned above, is not exactly an easy opponent for any team in this league. The Pelicans have one of the most versatile starting lineups in the league right now, with loads of young talent.
Brandon Ingram was named an All-Star for the first time, while Lonzo Ball is going through the best stretch of his young career. Zion Williamson is already starting to get comfortable with the pro game. Derrick Favors is a double-double machine. And to top it off, Jrue Holiday is still dominating with scoring and defense.
The Bucks are six-point favorites for Tuesday night, with the over/under set at 244.5.
Continuing Their Run
With a goal of winning more games than any other team in NBA history, losing is truly not an option for the Bucks. The best season ever was the 73-9 Warriors in 2015-16, who were surely on a better track than the 42-7 Bucks are currently on. They only have room to take one more loss over their next 33 games, but if they can somehow go 32-1 to close the season, they can make it happen.
The Bucks have a talented roster around their two top stars and defensive versatility across the board. It also helps that they have one of the best coaches in the NBA in Mike Budenholzer.
The craziest thing about Giannis and his averages of 30 points, 13 rebounds and six assists is that he is only playing 31 minutes a night. Most stars in this league play north of 35 minutes per game, and he’s doing all of that in four fewer minutes a night.
Pelicans Look To Gain Confidence
Life sure is good for this Pelicans team right now, even as they sit at 11th in the West and five games out of the playoffs. They have several guys competing in the Rising Stars Game, and an All-Star to boot.
Ingram, in his first year in New Orleans, was not among the All-Star snubs, and he’s just 22 years of age. Williamson is averaging 19 points and eight rebounds through his first six contests, as the 6-6 big man is playing standout ball and proving that he was, in fact, worth the wait.
The Pelicans will have some tough matchups Tuesday night, but if they can find a way to slow Giannis and Middleton down, they’ll have a shot.
Bucks Win Again
Milwaukee improves to 43-7 on the year and shows no signs of slowing down with a win over the Pelicans. Take Milwaukee -6.
Free Play: MIL -6
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.