Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers: Going Back for Seconds

The Bucks are coming off an impressive 110-103 victory over the Washington Wizards. Going on the road and collecting a solid win after a forgettable loss to the Toronto Raptors, was an inspiring display. The Bucks knocked off the Pacers in a 122-101 blowout, last Wednesday night. This time around they head to Indianapolis for the first time this season and take on a Pacers squad that just snapped a five game losing streak.

Bucks Update

In the two games since taking on Indiana, Milwaukee got absolutely waxed by Toronto, but rebounded 24 hours later and notched a quality victory in the nation’s capital. In those two games, KEG has combined for 63.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 13 assists. Against the Wizards, the trio each scored 20 or more points for the sixth time this season. The Bucks do especially well when Eric Bledsoe scores 20 or more points. Milwaukee has a 10-2 record when the half man/half deltoid muscle hits that 20 point threshold. Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off a 34 point performance against the Wizards and will be looking for back-to-back 30 point games for the first time since early-December, when he scored 37 and 32 on the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans respectively. Giannis dropped 31 on the Pacers last week, so he certainly has the potential for another 30 point outburst.

Player to watch: Malcolm Brogdon

Brogdon rejoined the starting lineup against the Wizards and finished one rebound shy of a double-double. He was not terribly effective overall, going zero for four from three-point range and shooting 35 percent from the field. In the previous meeting with the Pacers, Brogdon scored 17 points and finished with a +14 rating. The usually stable second year player will be looking for a bounce back, this time against a stronger challenge in Victor Oladipo.

Pacers Update

Indiana has played only one game since last Wednesday and that game was Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls. The Pacers found themselves in another boat race, but on the enjoyable side of it, beating Chicago 125-86. Victor Oladipo returned to the starting lineup after missing four games with a knee injury. He only logged 23 minutes, but managed to score 23 points and shoot 81 percent from the field. Unfortunately for Indiana, Bojan Bogdanovic is taking Oladipo’s spot on the injury list with a sprained ankle. Bogdanovic led all Indiana scorers with 24 points last Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Player to watch: Victor Oladipo

Oladipo missed the previous match-up and if his one point per minute performance against Chicago is any indication of his health, he is ready to pick back up at his All-Star pace. Oladipo is currently third in the voting for Eastern Conference guards, garnering a quarter of a million votes. With the former Indiana Hoosier great in the lineup, the Bucks should not expect to stampede the Pacers like they did last Wednesday.