Milwaukee stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Damian Lillard are expected to play together for just the sixth time this season when the Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
The Bucks improved to 4-1 when the three of them are on the court together, following a 120-112 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Milwaukee will play seven of their next ten games at home, starting with the matchup against the struggling Nets.
Brooklyn has lost three straight games and 11 of their last 14. On Wednesday, the Nets were defeated 130-113 by the Toronto Raptors, who ended their 11-game losing streak with the victory.
Now, Brooklyn faces a tough challenge against Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo, who returned after missing four games and posted 30 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Indiana.
Brook Lopez contributed 16 points, and Bobby Portis Jr. added 14 points and 15 rebounds to help the Bucks overcome a 19-point deficit and break a two-game losing streak.
“I think (Tuesday) was a great testament of how we stuck with our assignments, we stuck with our rhythm, we stuck with the things we’ve been drilling, and then the game finally started turning for us,” Portis said. “It was a great game for us, especially going forward, that we can look back on like, OK, cool, we do it one time, we can do it again and just keep building, keep building.”
Guard Gary Trent Jr. played a key role in securing the team’s final win of the calendar year, hitting two 3-pointers in the last few minutes against the Pacers.
“It was fun, it was exciting,” Trent said. “Obviously, you always want to help close out the game as much as you can, so whenever you get the opportunity, you want to try to hone in and lock in on it. I’m glad we got the win. Keep building, keep learning, and hopefully we get more reps in and find ways to win.”
Middleton scored 15 points in the win and is averaging 18.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds over his last six games.
Thursday’s game will be the final matchup between the Nets and Bucks this season. Milwaukee has lost two of the first three meetings, including a 111-105 defeat on Dec. 26, where Cam Johnson led Brooklyn with 29 points. The Bucks played without Antetokounmpo and Lillard in that game.
For Brooklyn, one positive from their loss to Toronto on Wednesday was the performance of guard D’Angelo Russell, who scored 22 points in his first game with the Nets since being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 29.
Russell is returning to Brooklyn, where he played from 2017 to 2019.
“It’s a good feeling, honestly, to go back somewhere you’re comfortable, somewhere you kind of know the ins and outs a little bit,” Russell said. “See some familiar faces. It kind of makes the process a little easier to adjust to. So I’m just grateful for that.”
Nets coach Jordi Fernandez praised Russell’s performance on Wednesday, where he shot 9 of 13 from the field and added eight assists in 26 minutes off the bench.
“I think he was outstanding,” Fernandez said. “His engagement, communication, everything. His court vision, ability to play pick-and-roll, it’s pretty special.”
Fernandez is also keeping an eye on the status of forward Noah Clowney, who suffered a lower back injury during Wednesday’s game and did not return.
