Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: Jan. 2 vs Oklahoma City Thunder
By Ti Windisch
The Milwaukee Bucks can really start the new year off right with a big win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Milwaukee Bucks ended 2016 with fireworks in Chicago when the team lit the Bulls on fire for the third time this season. So much for the “rivalry” between those two teams!
A much tougher opponent is up next. The Bucks open 2017 by taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Milwaukee. Russell Westbrook is on a personal mission to force Oklahoma City to be good, and it’s worked out for him so far.
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The Thunder are 21-13, good enough for fifth place in the tough Western Conference. Westbrook himself has been transcendent this season, his first with the Thunder since Kevin Durant left for the Golden State Warriors.
The Bucks will likely need to bring their A game to hang with the Warriors. Giannis Antetokounmpo could help his All-Star game push by going toe-to-toe with Westbrook and coming out on top. Westbrook is a legitimate MVP candidate, so you can bet people will be watching this game intently.
Milwaukee could certainly use some wins to help solidify the Bucks playoff position before the All-Star break. Right now there’s a huge clump of Eastern Conference teams around the middle of the pack–one game separates the 10th place Bulls from the sixth place Washington Wizards.
That means every game has importance for the Bucks. To find out how they could win or lose on Monday, we’ll go through the major keys for both teams. Then we’ll look at a member of the Thunder to keep an eye on, followed by predictions.