The Warriors will be seeking their seventh consecutive victory Saturday night when they travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks at Bradley Center.
The visitors surely remember their last trip to Wisconsin, as the final minutes of the game was seared into their minds. The Bucks, romping to a victory that snapped at 24 the Warriors’ NBA-record win streak to start a season, were dancing and prancing and talking trash.
That 108-95 win last Dec. 12 was the highlight of a sub-mediocre season for the Bucks, who finished 33-49. It also was one of the few lowlights for the Warriors, who six days later beat Milwaukee in Oakland.
The Warriors (10-2) are coming off a 104-88 win Friday night at Boston, while the Bucks (5-6) took a 96-73 thrashing in Miami on Thursday.
BETTING LINE:
Warriors by 6.5
MATCHUP TO WATCH:
Kevin Durant vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Long bodies pushing toward 7 feet, these are practically physical twins, though Durant obviously is the more advanced player. KD will try to keep Giannis out of transition, while Giannis will try to keep KD from taking over the game. It’s a delightful matchup featuring two mesmerizing talents.
Sports
INJURY LIST:
Warriors: C Damian Jones (R pectoral surgery recovery) is listed as out.
Bucks: F Khris Middleton (L hamstring surgery recovery) is listed as out.
SERIES HISTORY:
The teams split two games last season, but the Warriors have won five of the last six overall since 2012-13. The Warriors, in total, are 51-80 against Milwaukee.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH:
Fatigue factor. The Warriors arrived in Wisconsin in the wee hours for Night 2 of a back-to-back set. Though nobody played big minutes Friday night in Boston, it’s still a tough turnaround. That Milwaukee doesn’t play fast could work in their favor.
Hello Delly. Milwaukee last summer signed PG Matthew Dellavedova, the Saint Mary’s College product who during the 2015 NBA Finals briefly gained the nickname as the “Steph Stopper,” for his bulldog defense on Stephen Curry. The nickname lasted all of one game, but Curry doesn’t forget.
Pack the paint. The Bucks rank are shooting 31.8 percent from beyond the arc, ranking 28th in the league. The Warriors will do all they can to keep Milwaukee’s slashers from getting to the rim, forcing them to launch from deep.
