Even though Jae Crowder only has four games under his belt since joining the Milwaukee Bucks last month, he already has a great deal of respect for his new team.
When the Bucks take on the Philadelphia 76ers, who have lost three of their last four games, on Saturday, they will look to extend their winning streak to 17 games.
Milwaukee defeated the Orlando Magic on Wednesday by a score of 139-117, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 31 points and Jrue Holiday adding 23. In the victory, the Bucks made a season-high 26 3-pointers.
Since the Phoenix Suns won 18 games in a row last season, Milwaukee’s winning streak is the longest in the NBA. The Bucks have won 20 straight games, which is a team record that dates back to the 1970-71 season, when they also won 16 games in a row to win the NBA championship.
In Milwaukee’s victory over Orlando, seven players scored twice. Antetokounmpo and Pat Connaughton each attempted three three-pointers, while Grayson Allen, AJ Green, Joe Ingles, and Lopez each attempted four.
Over the past few weeks, Crowder’s surroundings have dazzled him, as evidenced by his 20-minute performance of six points and four rebounds.
This season, the Bucks have split their first two encounters with the Sixers, both in Philadelphia. In the season opener on Oct. 20, Milwaukee prevailed 90-88 and lost 110-102.
After losing on the road to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday by a score of 133-126, Philadelphia wants to get back on track. Dallas stars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, who scored a combined 82 points, were too much for the Sixers to handle.
Philadelphia allowed the Mavericks to make a season-high 25 3-point attempts, which is also the most the Sixers have allowed in a game this season. Joel Embiid had 35 points, Tyrese Maxey had 29, and James Harden had 27.
After missing Wednesday’s 119-96 road victory over the Miami Heat because of soreness in his left foot, Embiid played again. Averaging 33.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game, the six-time All-Star is averaging those stats.
The Sixers, who are currently third in the Eastern Conference and five games behind Milwaukee, Embiid stated that he is confident that the soreness in his foot will not be an ongoing issue for the team.