Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons: Hanukkah Basketball Edition

The Milwaukee Bucks have had a few days off since their ugly 136-134 overtime loss last Saturday to the New York Knicks at The Garden, and now welcome the surprising 13-8 Detroit Pistons to the Fiserv Forum tonight.

Bucks Update

It was another Herculean effort for Giannis Antetokounmpo who chipped in 33 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocked shots in 42 minutes in Milwaukee’s OT loss to the Knicks. He hit 10-of-17 shots and 13-of-16 free throws. Just another day at the office for Giannis. Khris Middleton had arguably his worst game of the season where he finished with 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in 19 minutes and he was benched the entire 4th quarter due to lack of effort on the boards and on the defensive end of the floor. It was bad.

Also, Tony Snell won the Milwaukee Bucks free throw tournament after knocking off point guard Malcolm Brogdon in the final round. The sad part about this tournament was the fact that Giannis knocked out D.J. Wilson in the first round. LOL.

The Milwaukee Bucks will be without John Henson and Ersan Ilyasova is doubtful for tonight’s contest with a mild concussion.

Player to Watch: Khris Middleton

It was a horrendous outing for Middleton last time out, and his play has somewhat nosedived after a blazing hot start to the season. However, perhaps a date against his former team is just what he needs to get back on track.

Pistons Update

Under first-year head coach Dwane Casey, the Detroit Pistons have opened up some eyes so far this season.

Uber-athletic forward Blake Griffin has played a huge role in the success of the Pistons this season, as he’s averaging 24.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game while knocking down 46.2% of his shots and 36.2% of his three-point attempts. Blake’s ability to pound the paint and also stretch the defense has done wonders for Detroit thus far. He’s not having the best season, but center Andre Drummond is still a force to be reckoned with. He’s averaging 18.3 points, 15.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. He’s killed the Bucks many times before.

The Pistons currently rank 18th in the NBA with a 107.4 ORtg, but they’ve gotten it done on the defensive end of the floor with a 106.4 DRtg which is top-10 in the NBA so far. The Pistons are off to a fast start, but are they for real?

The Detroit Pistons will be without Reggie Bullock tonight who is nursing an ankle injury.

Player To Watch: Andre Drummond

He’s a beast. Period. In 23 career matchups versus the Bucks, Andre is averaging 15.9 points and 14.5 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the floor. If he sets the tone on the glass, the Bucks could be in for a long night if he’s continuously getting Detroit second-chance points.