Losing one of the most-productive rookies from this year’s Draft class hasn’t been easy to overcome for the Milwaukee Bucks. Yet, while Jabari Parker's season came to an end when he tore his ACL midway through December, the team has picked up the slack admirably.
The Bucks have jumped to an impressive 29-23 record and is 8-2 over its last ten games with quality wins over Portland, Miami and Toronto. Milwaukee’s only two losses in that span were to San Antonio and Houston − each six-point decisions.
The Bucks have also played well at home recently going 5-0 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center after a 2-6 spurt in their previous eight home games. The Kings will look to end that streak as they seek their first road win in February.
Sacramento is on the tail end of a back-to-back with Chicago and Milwaukee − the team’s final pair of games before the All-Star break. DeMarcus Cousins and Co. will look to head into the extended weekend break with a win.
- The Kings are 5-11 against the Eastern Conference this season (1-5 on the road).
- Against Chicago, Darren Collison missed his third straight game with a right hip flexor strain. He is listed as day-to-day for tonight’s game.
- Meanwhile, Rudy Gay returned to the starting lineup after missing one game with a sore left foot and led the team in scoring with 24 points.
- The Bucks have won two in a row, beating the Nets on Monday, 103-97, and Boston last Saturday, 96-93. Milwaukee is now a season-high six games above .500. The team hasn’t been more than six games over .500 since 2010.
- Last time these teams met, Sacramento shot 58-percent from the floor in the first half, but trailed by three at halftime, 57-54, as Milwaukee drained 10-of-14 threes − three each from Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo.
- Returning from his 10-game absence, DMC racked up a team-high 27 points in that meeting hitting 8-of-12 shots and draining 11 of his 13 free throw attempts. His game-winning buzzer-beating attempt fell short as the Kings lost by a point, 108-107.
- Ben McLemore added 22 points on 80-percent shooting (8-10), while Gay tallied 20 points.
Projected Starters
Broadcasts: TV – CSNCA
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 441 / 9579
Dish Hopper – 412-29
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&T - 768 / 1768
Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM
Giannis Thriving
With the team’s second-leading scorer out for the season due to knee surgery, someone had to step up for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brandon Knight have picked up the slack.
Last week, Antetokounmpo earned NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors leading the team to a 3-1 record and averaging 19.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 blocks. On Monday night after being awarded the honor, Antetokounmpo, who has finished in double-figures in each of his last eight games, nearly had a triple-double vs. the Nets with 12 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Knight has also performed well in Parker’s absence, putting teammates like Antetokounmpo in a position to score with ease. Knight owns the longest active streak in the NBA with at least 5 assists in his last 13 contests.
Injury Update:
Kings:
- Derrick Williams (Right Ankle Sprain) is probable.
- Eric Moreland (Left Shoulder Labral Tear) is out.
- Darren Collison (Right Hip Flexor Sprain) is out.
Bucks:
- Damien Inglis (right ankle surgery) is out.
- Kendall Marshall (right knee ACL tear) is out.
- Kenyon Martin (left ankle soreness) is out.
- Jabari Parker (left knee surgery) is out.
- Larry Sanders (NBA suspension) is out.