The Milwaukee Bucks will look to shake off a blowout loss when they host the Washington Wizards on Saturday night in the second night of a back-to-back set.
In their 124-101 setback to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds for Milwaukee. The Bucks trailed 69-51 at halftime and were without Damian Lillard due to a right calf strain. Coach Doc Rivers expressed concerns about the tight turnaround after winning the NBA Cup on Tuesday and hopes the league addresses the short window after the championship game in the future.
Washington most recently played on Thursday, taking down the visiting Charlotte Hornets 123-114. Jordan Poole scored 27 points, and Malcolm Brogdon added 25 to lead the Wizards to just their second win in a span of 21 games. The return of veterans Brogdon and Corey Kispert from injuries played a significant role in the victory, according to head coach Brian Keefe.
Poole leads Washington with averages of 20.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Jonas Valanciunas is averaging a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game. Despite individual efforts, the Wizards are at the bottom of the league in most statistical categories. They tied their franchise-worst 16-game losing streak earlier this season for the third time ever and second year in a row but snapped that run with an upset win over Denver on Dec. 7.
The Wizards are also flirting with the NBA’s worst-ever point differential, sitting at -14.8. The all-time record is -15.2, set by the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks. On the injury front, Washington was without Kyle Kuzma on Thursday due to a rib ailment. His status for Saturday has not been announced.
Milwaukee is expected to remain without Lillard, who did not travel with the team to Cleveland. The star point guard is averaging 25.7 points per game and a team-high 7.5 assists. Antetokounmpo leads the NBA, averaging 32.7 points per game.
This will be the second of three matchups this season, with Milwaukee having won 124-114 at home on Nov. 30. In that game, Antetokounmpo had one of his best performances of the season with a 42-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, while Poole collected 31 points and seven assists for Washington.
