The Milwaukee Bucks aim for their fourth consecutive win and a measure of retribution as they host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
After struggling through a six-game losing streak and falling to 1-6 early in the season, the Bucks have turned things around, highlighted by Friday’s 129-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers, the first game of a back-to-back set.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 37 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists for his 47th career triple-double and second of the season, while Damian Lillard added 24 points and 12 assists. This win advanced the Bucks to 2-0 in NBA Cup play.
When Milwaukee’s star duo both excel and create opportunities for others, the team performs at its peak.
The Bucks’ only recent loss was a 115-114 heartbreaker on the road against the Hornets last Saturday.
Antetokounmpo secured another triple-double that night, but the major talking point was his controversial foul on LaMelo Ball with 7.3 seconds left, which the league later acknowledged as a mistake.
This admission didn’t prevent Doc Rivers from being fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing the officiating, and Ball was fined $100,000 for using an anti-gay slur during a post-game interview.
Ball and fellow backcourt starter Brandon Miller shone on Thursday, becoming the first pair of Hornets players to each score 35-plus points in the same game as they defeated the Detroit Pistons in overtime, 123-121.
Miller, on the eve of his 22nd birthday, scored a career-high 38 points, with eight three-pointers and four steals, while Ball added 35 points, helping Charlotte avoid a third consecutive loss.
Ball fouled out early in overtime, and Miller’s impressive two-way skills, which draw comparisons to his all-time favorite player, nine-time All-Star and Philadelphia 76ers veteran Paul George, carried the Hornets to victory.
Milwaukee will face a tough challenge containing the Ball-Miller combination, which is only expected to improve over time.
