Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview: Payback time

Milwaukee Bucks v Charlotte Hornets — Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images

Can the Bucks get one back on the Hornets?

The Milwaukee Bucks will attempt to sweep this back-to-back tonight against the pesky Charlotte Hornets. We all know how the last game turned out, and it will be on Milwaukee to not let this game come down to refereeing decisions. That said, the last game did not feature Damian Lillard, so his inclusion should help the Bucks stay afloat offensively much easier.

Where We’re At

Following last night’s win against the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks have now won five of their last six games. They have also won three straight games over the Rockets, Bulls, and the aforementioned Pacers. The offence is gelling much better of late, with Dame and Giannis working to get their teammates open shots at a higher level—the two combined for 23 assists last night. Gary Trent Jr. has been a major beneficiary of this, scoring in double digits over his last five games.

Since beating the Bucks four games ago, the Hornets have gone 1-2. They lost to the Cavaliers and Nets before gutting out a close win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. Milwaukee will need to be aware of Charlotte’s young studs, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who dropped a combined 73 points to down the Pistons.

Injury Report

Coming off the back-to-back, Milwaukee has until 1 PM Central today to submit an injury report. We can expect Ryan Rollins and Khris Middleton to remain out with a dislocated shoulder and ankle surgery recovery, respectively.

Charlotte has a very lengthy injury report right now. All of the following players are out: Miles Bridges, DaQuan Jeffries, Tre Mann, Nick Richards, and Mark Williams.

Player To Watch

Remember how last time these two teams played, the Bucks gave up sixteen offensive rebounds? Yeah, well, ten (!) of them were grabbed by Moussa Diabaté. The dude is 6’9”; it’s not like he is some behemoth, but good golly, can he rebound. Diabaté just had seven O-boards in their last game. If any Buck is ball-watching as the shot goes up, you can bet your bottom dollar this guy will grab it. Milwaukee must be aware of him and box the heck out!

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