Bucks looks to avoid 1-5 start against the last unbeaten team in the East
The Milwaukee Bucks will be looking to turn the page on a 1-4 record in October as they host the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum. This will be the first of four meetings between the two Central Division foes after they split last year’s season series. All of those games took place before Doc Rivers took over, with three coming with Adrain Griffin leading the bench.
Where We’re At
Things couldn’t be much worse for Milwaukee right now. After a solid opening night win, the Bucks have lost four in a row, including a 23-point drubbing at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. While Giannis and Dame are averaging a combined 53.6 points per game, the rest of the supporting cast has lagged on both ends. The prized signing of the off-season, Gary Trent Jr., has struggled mightily, shooting a putrid 35.7% from the field and 27.6% from beyond the arc on 5.8 attempts per contest (well below his career average of 38.4%). The transition defense has also been dreadful to start the year, giving up the ninth most points per game on the fastbreak in the league at 16.4.
It has been the perfect start for the Cavs to begin the 2024 campaign. They started the season with some more winnable games in their first three (Raptors, Pistons, and Wizards), but have picked up some nice wins against the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic (albeit without Paolo Banchero). Their “Big Four” of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley are meshing well so far with all of them healthy for once. Mitchell is playing his role as the lead scorer with per-game averages of 23.8 points, five assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game, while Allen and Mobley are sucking up rebounds at an 11.0 and 8.2 clip per game, respectively. Garland is back after missing 25 games after suffering a broken jaw, as he is averaging 17.8 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting an efficient 50.7% from the floor.
Injury Report
The injury report looks very familiar for the Milwaukee Bucks to those who have been paying attention, with Khris Middleton already ruled out for this one. Giannis, on the other hand, is still listed as probable with his right patella tendenitis. AJ Johnson, Chris Livingston, and Stanley Umude are unavailable, on assignment with the Wisconsin Herd.
As of now, the Cavaliers have not submitted an injury report with them on a back-to-back after playing the Magic last night.
Player To Watch
Damian Lillard and the Bucks’ guards have been bullied on the defensive end quite often so far this season, and it won’t get any easier as they take on Darius Garland. The former Vanderbilt Commodore has been slowly rounding into form, including a 34-point performance against the New York Knicks this past Monday. Despite being limited to twelve points against the Lakers, Garland still finished with a double-double (ten assists) in the Cavs 134-110 victory over the Lakers.
DARIUS GARLAND GETS THE CAVS UP TO 42 FIRST QUARTER POINTS pic.twitter.com/e5z89PiH8G
— Dylan (@DylanWDesign_) October 30, 2024
How To Watch
Fan Duel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 PM CDT.
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