Milwaukee Bucks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview: Last one before the break

Milwaukee Bucks v Minnesota Timberwolves — Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Can the Bucks empty the clip before All-Star?

The Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves face off tonight in the last game before the All-Star break. The two teams have not yet matched up this season, but the series was split last year.

Where We’re At

With the news that Giannis will be out at least until the break, Milwaukee is just trying to keep its head above water right now. They have traded wins and losses over their last four games, with Ws over the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers, and Ls to the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. Wrapped up in all of this has been trying to integrate Kyle Kuzma on the fly (in a second-banana role they wouldn’t have imagined he’d be in, no less). Kuzma’s start thus far has been encouraging, I would say, but the worries about his game and fit with this team remain prominent.

The Wolves have had quite the up-and-down season but are playing much better of late. They have won three out of four games and eight of their last 11. They took a big loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday but defeated the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trail Blazers in succession before that. Although he may not play tonight, Anthony Edwards has been spectacular of late, dropping a combined 90 points across two games against the Bulls and Rockets.

Injury Report

For the Bucks, Giannis is out (left calf strain), while Damian Lillard (right hamstring soreness) and Pat Connaughton (left calf strain) are probable.

For the Wolves, Julius Randle (right groin strain) and Donte DiVincenzo (left great toe sprain) are out. Anthony Edwards (right hip soreness) and Mike Conley (right index finger sprain) are questionable.

Player To Watch

I’ll go with Naz Reid. As we know, the Bucks can have issues with stretch big men, and Reid presents a true challenge without Giannis. He’s shooting 41.6% from deep this season on 5.4 (!) attempts per contest. There really isn’t a great matchup for Reid. Brook feels like a bad idea, Bobby as well. Is Kuzma the matchup? Well, Naz probably has Kuz on power and strength. Could be interesting.

How To Watch

FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 7:00 p.m. CST, or watch locally on:

WMLW & WYTU (Milwaukee)

WISC (Madison)

WMEI (Green Bay)

WECX (Eau Claire/La Crosse)

WYOW (Wausau)

WQAD (Davenport, IA, Rock Island/Moline, IL)

Playback Streaming

We are streaming the game live on our Playback and YouTube channels. Read on to find out how you can get NBA League Pass on us!

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