Bucks vs. Pistons Preview: Would a Win by Less than 40 Even Count?

The Milwaukee Bucks just toppled the Detroit Pistons a week and a half ago, but Dwane Casey’s squad is back for more punishment, playing in Little Caesars Arena Wednesday evening.

Bucks Update

I’m running out of superlatives to describe this team on their 12-game winning streak. They just became the fifth NBA team all-time (ALL-TIME!) to wallop two straight teams by 40+ points. The Knicks loss was such a deflating destruction, our cousins at Posting and Toasting made the smart decision to eulogize a loving pet rather than subject their fans to a game recap. Milwaukee is crushing teams’ souls with how they’re playing, and it’s taking barely more than 20 minutes per game of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time to do so. We may have to get a poll going whether we need to add an option to our prediction poll for “Win HUGE (by 40+)”

Player to Watch: Khris Middleton

Freshly inserted back to the starting lineup against the Knicks, Middleton acquitted himself in usual fashion with 16 points, seven boards and 7-10 shooting in 17 minutes. The Pistons don’t have guards with the length to match up with Middleton on the offensive end, so look for Khris to attack our old friend Tony Snell at the elbow and around the arc.

Pistons Update

Thankfully, this isn’t quite the injury-riddled Pistons team Milwaukee beat back on November 23. Blake Griffin is back, immediately elevating this team’s floor to a respectable level, as is Snell. They waxed the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road 127-94, giving most of their starters a chance to play limited minutes in advance of their back-to-back against Milwaukee. They beat up on the San Antonio Spurs, winning by 34, but that was prefaced by the indignity of back-to-back losses to the Charlotte Hornets. I expect a tussle more respectable than the last time they faced, but little more.

Player to Watch: Tony Snell

If I gave you 2 guesses, I bet you could predict what Tony Snell’s stat line looked like in the win against Cleveland. 22 minutes played, 2 points scored, 1-2 from the field. Everyone’s favorite reticent gunner is back folks, and this time, he’s moving in silence for the other team. As a Snell stan myself when he was with Milwaukee, I look forward to forgetting he’s on the court many times over this evening.