The Milwaukee Bucks want to win 70 games - will the Indiana Pacers stop them?
Watch the Bucks take on the Pacers on midnight Thursday, live on Sky Sports Arena and Main Event
Wednesday 4 March 2020 15:38, UK
The Milwaukee Bucks will visit the plucky Indiana Pacers as part of their history-making bid to close out the regular season. Milwaukee is on pace to win 70 games, a feat accomplished just twice in NBA history.
Last time out
The Bucks are looking to bounce back from this season's worst outing from MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg). The 105-89 loss away to Miami on Monday was just their ninth defeat this season.
Milwaukee's second most important player has been Khris Middleton (20.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.1 apg), who gained his second All Star in his eighth NBA season.
The Bucks are fielding no significant injuries going into tonight's game. Only eight teams have managed to beat them this season, but the Pacers have been one of them.
Indiana is on a hot streak, winning six of its last seven games as it regroups around Victor Oladipo (12 ppg). The guard has made 10 appearances since his return from knee surgery, but sat out the Pacers' last game, a 116-111 win at San Antonio.
In his place, point guard Malcolm Brogdon has shined, scoring 26 points and dishing seven assists against the Spurs, along with 22 points and eight assists a win at Cleveland on Saturday. Oladipo's status is ruled day-to-day, while shooting guard Jeremy Lamb was lost to a torn ACL last month.
Numbers Game
The Bucks may stumble in their effort to win 70 games this season, but that may not be a bad thing. The Golden State Warriors broke the NBA record for wins in 2016, going 73-9, but were struck by injuries in the playoffs and lost in the finals.
If the Bucks decide to begin resting players towards the end of the season - unlikely given the comments of co-owner Marc Lasry - they may still make history as the team with the greatests-ever point differential.
After their loss in Miami, the Bucks dropped to a margin of victory of 12.26 this season, a fraction behind the all-time NBA record of 12.28 set by the 1971-1972 Lakers.
Milwaukee is third in offensive efficiency this season, behind just Houston and Dallas, while posting a league-leading 119.1 ppg. Apart from their two All-Stars, the Bucks are supported by the scoring of Eric Bledsoe (15.3 ppg, 5.4 apg) and Brook Lopez (11 ppg).
Though Antetokounmpo has been maligned as a poor three-point shooter - at 31 per cent, it's perhaps the only flaw in his game - Middleton is hitting a blistering 43 per cent of his shots beyond the arc, with Wesley Matthews shooting at a 37 per cent clip.
Live NBA: Milwaukee @ L.A Lakers
On the other end of the floor, Bucks lead the league in defensive efficiency and it's not even close. That focus will serve them well in the playoffs, when easy buckets will be harder to come by for their starters.
The Pacers are currently tied for the fifth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (37-24), which would potentially merit a second round clash against the Bucks.
Offensively they stand in the middle of the NBA pack, ranking 16th in efficiency. With the loss of Oladipo, Indiana's season was salvaged by the emergence of fourth-year center Domantas Sabonis (18.3 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 4.9 apg) who has been a revelation this season.
Without Oladipo, the Pacers have ranked dead last in three-point attempts this season, though they are shooting at a respectable 36 per cent clip.
Much like the Bucks, the Pacers rely on their defensive prowess, rising up to eighth in defensive efficacy. The team measured 20th in that category over a five-game losing streak last month before working in zone defensive schemes.
"I like being able to change it up," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told The Athletic. "Once teams get a rhythm sometimes if you're not changing it up they can hurt you.
The Pacers are especially effective when 6-foot-11 Sabonis teams up with big man Miles Turner. The two have been paired for an average of 19 minutes a game, with a +3.3 net rating in points while on the floor, according to The Athletic.
One to watch from the Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo (9ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.2 apg)
The second year guard earned his fame in the 2018 NCAA title game, where he shined for Villanova. Now he is proving his mantle in the NBA, earning 22 starts and sizeable minutes this season.
DiVincenzo posted one of his best games this season during the Bucks last meeting against the Pacers on February 12, totaling 19 points on 8-14 shooting and eight rebounds. He can blow hot or cold on the offensive end, but for a 6-foot-4 guard, he is deft at collecting rebounds.
One to watch from the Pacers: T.J. Warren (18.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Who is T.J. Warren? The sixth-year small forward was rescued from basketball Siberia in Phoenix this season and has shined in Indiana.
Warren has been the Pacers' go-to scorer, and should benefit from single-team coverage once Oladipo is finally healthy. When he gets hot, the Pacers are hard to beat.
Just ask the Bucks, who were torched by Warren for 35 points as Indiana came away with the victory on Feb 12. His last two outings feature 23 points at San Antonio, and 30 points at Cleveland - both wins.
