Bucks vs. Jazz Preview: Milwaukee Looks to Rebound Against Utah

The Milwaukee Bucks saw their 5-game win streak come to an end on Saturday night with a 116-123 home defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. Monday night presents another opportunity for the 27-11 Milwaukee Bucks to start a new winning streak when they welcome the 20-20 Utah Jazz.

Bucks Update

Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 43 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists in Saturday’s loss while making 16-of-25 shots in 40 minutes. He also canned 3-of-5 three-pointers. Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe each added 14 points of their own while combining to dish out 17 assists. Both players struggled mightily in the second half though. Malcolm Brogdon scored 15 points to go along with 5 assists and was Milwaukee’s only member of the starting lineup to finish with a positive plus-minus (plus-7). George Hill came off the bench and added 11 points and played a big hand in helping Milwaukee claw their way back into the game down the stretch.

The Bucks shot 49.4% from the floor and made 37.8 percent of their threes (14 made), but the Raptors had an answer for every Bucks basket down the stretch. It was really “one of those games.”

The availability of D.J. Wilson who left Saturday’s game with a hip injury is uncertain for tonight against the Jazz. Other than that, the Bucks should have all hands on deck.

Player to Watch: Brook Lopez

Splash Mountain only scored 5 points in Saturday’s loss to the Raptors, and now has to deal with Utah’s Rudy Gobert on both ends. However, Lopez’s three-point shooting prowess will open up a lot of easy looks at the basket for Giannis and company.

Utah Jazz Update

It’s been an up and down season for the 20-20 Utah Jazz. They currently have the 5th best defensive rating in the NBA (105.2), but their offense has let them down a bit this season. The Jazz’s offense currently ranks 20th in the NBA at 107.4. Their defense alone keeps them in games.

They are coming off a 110-105 road victory against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while Ricky Rubio tallied 18 points. Joe Ingles scored 16 points and Derrick Favors finished with 13. Rudy Gobert was quiet with 9 points and 11 rebounds, he did not block one shot.

Aside from their starters, the lack of depth the Utah Jazz have is a bit concerning. They’re trotting out a bench unit that consists of Jae Crowder, Thabo Sefolosha, Raul Neto and Kyle Korver. Yikes.

This is the Utah Jazz injury report for tonight’s contest.

Player to Watch: Donovan Mitchell

He’s having a rough year shooting the basketball, but he’s still a guy that can erupt at any given moment. Last year, against the Bucks in Utah, he scored 24 points and made 6 three-pointers.