The Milwaukee Bucks will seek a fourth consecutive win and a dose of retribution when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
The Bucks looked to be in big trouble as they limped through a six-game losing streak and fell to 1-6 earlier in the season, but they have reversed their fortunes of late, capped by Friday’s clinical 129-117 win over the Indiana Pacers, the first leg of a back-to-back set.
Giannis Antetokounmpo amassed 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for his 47th career triple-double and his second of the season, while Damian Lillard contributed 24 points and 12 assists. The win moved the Bucks to 2-0 in NBA Cup play.
When Milwaukee’s marquee duo finish their own work as well as create for others, the Bucks are at their best.
“When you have your scorers passing, it’s hard (for opposing teams) to stop you,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said after his team won for the fifth time in six games to improve to two games below .500 at 7-9.
“We have so many guys who can shoot threes, and shoot them at a high clip. Every time we get to the paint, it forces the defense to either don’t help and give us a layup, or help and give us a three.
“It’s been great to see the ball moving around.”
The Bucks’ only loss in their recent stretch of success was a 115-114 road heartbreaker against the Hornets last Saturday.
Antetokounmpo chalked up another triple-double that night, but the big talking point was his contentious foul on LaMelo Ball with 7.3 seconds remaining, which the league subsequently admitted was a mistake.
That concession wasn’t enough to prevent Rivers from being slapped with a $25,000 fine for publicly criticizing the officiating, while Ball was fined $100,000 for using an anti-gay slur while interviewed on-court after the game.
Ball and fellow backcourt starter Brandon Miller were at their dynamic best on Thursday, becoming the first pair of Hornets players each to score 35-plus points in the same game as they beat the Detroit Pistons in overtime, 123-121.
Miller, on the eve of his 22nd birthday, posted a career-high 38 points, eight 3-pointers and four steals, while Ball added 35 as Charlotte avoided a third consecutive loss.
Ball fouled out in the opening seconds of overtime before the Hornets were carried home by Miller, whose burgeoning two-way skillset continues to evoke comparisons with his all-time favorite player, nine-time All-Star and Philadelphia 76ers veteran Paul George.
“I’m so proud of how Brandon has continued to grow and blossom,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said. “The comparisons are always great to have, especially when it’s a player like Paul George, but to me, he (Miller) is his own player.
“I do think Brandon is going to carve out his own niche, and it’s going to be a lot different.”
Milwaukee will have its work cut out trying to contain the Ball-Miller combination, which will only get better over time.
“Having the ability to have ‘Melo come off the ball and me come off the ball, I think it can create confusion for the defense because you’ve got two good shooters but you can only pick one of them,” Miller said. “It’s going to be a scary duo. I’ve been saying that. I’m looking forward to some more wins.”
