After going 2-2 on their west coast road trip, the Bucks were eager to come home for six straight at the Fiserv Forum. After losing their first home game to the Grizzly grinders on Wednesday night 116-113, the Bucks sputtered Friday night in the first half against against a Chicago Bulls team that was shooting the lights out. Milwaukee got their mojo back in the second half, however, proceeding to win handily 123-104. After starting 7-0 in October, the Bucks are 4-4 in November, and will need to bring their “A game” this week against tough competition. Let’s take a look at the week ahead.
Monday, Nov. 19th vs. Denver (10-6)
After losing to a never-say-die tenacious Bucks team at home a week ago 121-114, the Nuggets will be looking to settle the score in this rematch. Coming off a tough loss against the Pelicans on Saturday night, Denver hopes to shut down an inconsistent Bucks offense that has had difficulty continuing the blazing pace they set in October. The Nuggets match up well with the Bucks, who will be heading into this game minus Donte DiVincenzo (quad) and John Henson (wrist). Key matchup to watch for this time around will be Nikola Jokic against Thon Maker. Denver plays great defense, which is something the Bucks have struggled against lately– good defenses.
Wednesday Nov. 21st vs. Portland (11-5)
The Bucks will need to play solid on both sides of the ball for a full 48 minutes in order to defeat a strong Blazers team. Portland handed the Bucks their worst loss of the season on a night where CJ McCollum lit it up for 40 points, and Malcolm Brogdon & Eric Bledsoe combined for just nine. If the Bucks offense is firing on all cylinders, this could be a shootout. The Bucks defense will need to find ways to contain McCollum and Damian Lillard— which is no easy feat. This may be the toughest game of the home stand.
Friday Nov. 23rd vs. Phoenix (3-12)
The floundering Phoenix Suns head to Milwaukee for what should be an easy win for the Bucks. However, they are still an NBA team that is capable of taking advantage of a sleeping team. Just ask the San Antonio Spurs, who lost to the Suns by 20 on November 14th, 116-96. As long as the Bucks stick to their game, they should handle Phoenix just fine. This Bucks team is different than in years past, where they would tend to sink to the level of their competition.
Saturday Nov. 24th vs. San Antonio (7-8)
The Spurs have fallen into challenging times, losing six of eight games in November. Their schedule isn’t getting easier anytime soon with games against New Orleans, Memphis, and Indiana prior to heading into Fiserv Forum on Saturday. It’s conceivable that they could head into town with a 7-11 record. Both teams will be playing back-to-back games that weekend, but Milwaukee has the edge as their starters will hopefully take the fourth quarter off against the Suns Friday night. No team should be taken lightly, and San Antonio is the perfect example of that.
