The surging Milwaukee Bucks come to blows with the Orlando Magic on the road in Saturday’s NBA action. After having their nine-game win streak snapped by the Denver Nuggets, the Bucks exploded back on the winning track with three straight wins over the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns. However, the story has been drastically different for the Magic. They have lost nine of their last 11 games, including back-to-back road meetings with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
Bucks a legitimate championship contender
The Bucks are the most complete team on paper with the best record in the league, and people still aren’t taking them seriously in the title picture. All expectations point to the trophy heading back to the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers being the prohibitive favorites.
Don’t expect the Bucks to be moved by that sort of premature conjecture. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on a mission this season to prove the Eastern Conference is still the A-side of the ticket, and the Bucks are the best team in basketball.
Milwaukee will look to flex their defensive muscles against the Magic’s 27th-ranked offense on Saturday. The ability to lock down on the defensive end of the floor has enabled the Bucks to consistently dominate opponents regardless of the venue. They are currently the No. 1-ranked team in the league in defensive efficiency.
But the dominance doesn’t stop there.
The Bucks are averaging 119.9 points per game with the team shooting 48.3 percent from the floor. Orlando’s seventh-ranked defense will present a tough matchup, but it’ll take more than a good defensive team to slow down Milwaukee’s momentum.
Sloppy Magic running out of tricks
Orlando has reached desperation mode.
They were completely shut down by the Knicks on Thursday night in a game where they turned the ball over 21 times. The lack of offensive firepower on their roster is a shame considering how impressive they’ve been on the defensive end of the floor. However, a one-dimensional defensive team isn’t going to cut it in today’s NBA. It’s a hard lesson they might have to continue learning on Saturday.
Antetokounmpo and budding star Khris Middleton leading the league’s deepest roster is a nightmare matchup for the Magic. They aren’t capable of playing the same brand of two-way basketball, and the Bucks’ suffocating defense will make it feel impossible for them to generate points consistently.
Everything comes down to the Magic turning it into the worst offensive night of Milwaukee’s season. Orlando has the No. 1-ranked scoring defense in the league that is capable of presenting some real problems, especially if they’re able to make Antetokounmpo look human. Opposing teams are averaging 44.1 percent shooting at the Amway Center. Then again, none of those teams had “The Greek Freak.”
Bucks guard George Hill has already been ruled out for the game with a lingering hamstring injury.
