Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies Preview: Welcome to The Grind House

A night removed from their 124-86 home victory over the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks are in Memphis to take on the struggling Grizzlies tonight.

Bucks Update

The Bucks won their 31st game of the season last night by 38 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo notched a 12 point, 10 rebound, 10 assist triple-double in 25 minutes. Seven Bucks players finished in double-figures and the Bucks knocked down 17 three-pointers against the Heat.Five players on the Bucks hit 2+ threes in last night’s complete win. They held Miami to 41.9 percent shooting from the field and 23.5 percent from deep. It was quite the slaughtering.

Khris Middleton played the most minutes (a paltry 26) last night, so everyone should be well rested for tonight’s back-to-back finale. Donte DiVincenzo is back with the Herd, likely rehabbing from the ailing injury he had, while George Hill is listed as probable with bruised ribs.

Player to Watch: Khris Middleton

Over his last 10-games, Middleton has averaged 19.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 51 percent over that stretch. The Bucks are going to need his shooting/scoring prowess against the Grit and Grind Grizzlies.

Memphis Grizzlies Update

Remember when they beat the Bucks at the Fiserv Forum and held one of the top spots in the West for a hot minute? They currently sit a 19-24...oof. Things are not going well in Memphis for J.B. Bickerstaff and his squad right now.

The Grizz are coming off a 112-94 road loss to a depleted Houston Rockets team, and they have lost 8 of their last 9 games. Garrett Temple and Mike Conley led them in scoring with 14 points apiece. Oddly enough, Memphis shot 50 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from deep. Related: James Harden dropped 57 points on them. It’s been that kind of a stretch for Memphis.

They will be without Kyle Anderson and Dillion Brooks tonight, and the status of Marc Gasol could be up in the air after complaining about a sensitivity issue in his hands during Memphis’s loss in Houston.

Player to Watch: Jaren Jackson Jr.

He has been a huge bright spot in what’s been a rollercoaster season for the Grizzlies, and he had a big impact on both ends of the floor when these two teams matched up earlier in the year. Defensively, he performed admirably against Giannis given he still has plenty of frame to fill out. He’s currently averaging 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1 steal per game. He’s got a very bright future in the NBA.