Milwaukee is closing in on locking up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and earning home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bucks are 52-8, and they have a lead of 10 games over Toronto in the East. They are up seven games on the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference too, as Giannis Antetokuonmpo is on the verge of winning his second straight NBA MVP. Milwaukee can clinch the Central Division crown within the next two weeks, and the Bucks can lessen their magic number when they host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
This game will take place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on March 4, 2020, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Head-To-Head Results to Date
The Bucks are 12-1 against the Central Division this year, and their lone loss was on the road against Indiana on February 12. The Greek Freak sat out that game, and Milwaukee couldn’t pick up the win without its superstar. Indiana took a 68-45 lead into halftime, but the Bucks did fight back to only lose by seven points.
Antetokuonmpo was involved in the other two games between these division foes, and Milwaukee easily beat Indiana in both those games. The Bucks hammered the Pacers 102-83 in mid-November with Indiana making just 32 percent of its field goals. In late December, Milwaukee crushed Indiana 117-89 as the Pacers again shot poorly from the floor. Indiana made just 37 percent of its shots, and the Pacers were outscored 58-34 in the second half by the Bucks.
Injury Report
Jeremy Lamb was lost for the season last week after suffering a major knee injury. Lamb tore his ACL and his meniscus against Toronto, and he might miss part of next season too due to the severity of the injury.
Khris Middleton has missed Milwaukee’s last two games with a neck injury. The Bucks’ second leading scorer has been experiencing soreness in his neck, so Mike Budenholzer has given the All-Star wing a few days to rest. He is expected to play on Tuesday night, but you can’t count on him taking the court after we heard the same thing on Sunday night. Kyle Korver is questionable to play due to a back injury as well.
Matchup to Watch
Antetokuonmpo has been phenomenal this season, and he is coming off another great performance against Charlotte on Sunday. The Greek Freak hit more than 60 percent from the floor and finished with 41 points, 20 rebounds, and six assists. It was his fourth straight game making at least 60 percent of his field goals, and he has now tallied a double-double in 16 straight games.
Indiana’s defense has held its last three opponents to 94.7 PPG, but it will be tough for the Pacers to shut down the Bucks with a healthy Giannis in the mix. Milwaukee was held under 100 PPG for the first time all season on Sunday, and that’s unlikely to happen again.
Game Preview
Malcolm Brogdon moved from Milwaukee to Indiana in the offseason, and he is out to lead the Pacers to a victory over his former team. He is averaging 16.4 PPG, and he is the top guard on the roster with Lamb out and Victor Oladipo still playing himself back into shape.
Meanwhile, Eric Bledsoe is out to rebound after three straight poor shooting performances. Bledsoe is 9-28 from the field in his last three games, but he could have a hard time scoring on Brogdon.
Prediction
If Middleton doesn’t play, Indiana has a decent chance to cover the spread per the NBA betting odds. The Bucks don’t have another proven talent behind Antetokuonmpo, and the Pacers have the frontcourt depth to keep it close.
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