The NBA Cup quarterfinal action kicks off on Tuesday night with the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Orlando Magic at the Fiserv Forum.
The Orlando Magic arrive in Milwaukee after a hard-fought 115-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, maintaining their perfect home record this season at 10-0. Jalen Suggs played a pivotal role, scoring 26 points, including 14 in the decisive fourth quarter. Goga Bitadze also made a significant contribution with 21 points and 16 rebounds.
The Bucks, returning from a two-game road trip to Boston and Brooklyn, halted a two-game losing streak with a 118-113 win over the Nets on Sunday. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the charge with 34 points and 11 rebounds. Bench players Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr. added 23 and 20 points respectively, while Damian Lillard contributed 15 points and 11 assists.
Antetokounmpo, who leads the NBA with 32.5 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game for the Bucks, will be a key player to watch. Lillard, the team’s assists leader with 7.5 per game, will also play a crucial role in facilitating the offense.
The Magic are grappling with injuries, most notably to Franz Wagner, who is sidelined with a torn oblique. Wagner leads Orlando with averages of 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Goga Bitadze steps up as the team’s top rebounder (7.3) and shot blocker (1.6). Additionally, Paolo Banchero is out with a torn oblique and will be re-evaluated in January.
Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris also missed Sunday’s game due to hamstring injuries. Harris has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game, while Isaac’s status remains questionable.
Despite their injury struggles and a 3-6 start, the Magic have surged to first place in the Southeast Division, thanks largely to their staunch defense, which ranks third in the NBA with a 105.7 defensive rating.
The Bucks boast a balanced attack, ranking 10th in offensive rating (113.9) and 14th in defensive rating (113.0). They are particularly lethal from beyond the arc, ranking third in the league with a 39.4% three-point shooting percentage.
Milwaukee is fully healthy following the season debut of Khris Middleton, who scored 11 points in 20 minutes against Boston on Friday. The three-time All-Star is expected to be a significant contributor moving forward.
Historically, the Bucks have dominated the series against the Magic, leading 73-55 all-time. They had a 14-game win streak against Orlando heading into last season when the series was split 2-2. The Magic have not won a season series against Milwaukee since the 2011-12 season.
The winner of this quarterfinal clash will advance to Las Vegas to compete in the NBA Cup semifinals, where they will face the winner of Wednesday night’s matchup between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks.
