Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview: Bucks Look to Keep Momentum Rolling

Milwaukee bounced back on Saturday night with a thrilling down-to-the-wire 113-110 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. After taking a day to reflect on the fantastic finish, the Bucks welcome the Charlotte Hornets to town for a chance to prove themselves as being higher on the Eastern Conference food chain.

Bucks Update

It’s impossible to talk about the state of the Bucks without mentioning Giannis Antetokounmpo’s incredible start to the season. He is coming off a career high 44 point night and has tallied 30+ points in each of the first three games of the season. Khris Middleton and Tony Snell had nice bounce back games scoring 18 and 17 respectively. The supporting cast will have to keep up the support as the Bucks look to string together consecutive wins for the first time in the new season.

Player to Watch: Malcolm Brogdon

The Prez has shown improvements on the offensive end so far with 16 points per game and connecting on half of his three-point attempts. After three games, Brogdon has clocked in at 35 minutes a game and will already be facing his third premier point guard in just the fourth game of the year. Defensively Brogdon will look to mitigate Kemba Walker’s effectiveness and prove that he can face up with an All-Star guard.

Update! You can watch Malcolm Brogdon if you want, but he’s going to be watching from the bench. Brogdon is out with a left ankle injury, assumed to be a minor sprain.

Hornets Update

Charlotte completely dominated the second half in their Friday night contest against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hornets came out victorious by a 109-91 score and allowed only 35 second half points. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will return to action after missing the first two games due to the passing of his grandmother. He will no doubt be shaking off some rust after missing a week, but look for his defensive presence against Middleton to be a key match-up in the contest.

Player to Watch: Dwight Howard

The former number one overall pick found himself on the trading block from the Atlanta Hawks this summer and is now a member of Buzz City. The rebound machine is averaging 15 after the Hornets’ first two games. This will be a great test to see how far Thon Maker has come in his physical development. How the Bucks divvy up the frontcourt minutes will also be something to watch. Greg Monroe should see more than the seven minutes he received on Saturday night to neutralize Howard’s physicality.

What Vegas Says

Bovada Sportsbook has the Bucks favored by 6.5 points with the over/under set at a subdued 205. I have a feeling the Bucks will cover as they look to generate more offensive flow outside of Antetokounmpo and taking on a lesser opponent than the previous three games will aid in that.