Milwaukee Bucks: Next three games will provide pivotal test
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks have a challenging road ahead as the next three games on their schedule are against the premier contenders across the league.
With an 8-4 record, the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves sitting tied for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Currently on a three-game win streak, the Bucks have gotten into a nice rhythm with victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Detroit Pistons. Finally starting to find their niche on both ends of the floor, Milwaukee will be put to the test with a challenging three-game stretch set to kick off Friday night.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
The Bucks’ next three games will be against the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Lakers. With three of the league’s top contenders on the schedule consecutively, the Milwaukee Bucks will have their hands full over the next six days.
With that in mind, here is what each game might have in store and why it might be challenging for the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks versus Dallas Mavericks, January 15
The Dallas Mavericks were among the few teams to beat the Milwaukee Bucks on multiple occasions throughout the 2019-20 regular season. They have been a tough matchup for Milwaukee for the past several seasons, thanks to their star-studded tandem of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
The Slovenian phenom, Doncic has started to find his groove after a slow start to the season as he’s up to averaging 27.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.3 assists throughout his nine appearances. Many pegged the 21-year-old as the early MVP favorite before the season, and if he can sustain his recent consistency, that could very well be the case.
Regarding the other half of the duo, Porzingis has been in a far different situation, however. The big man made his long-awaited return to the court Wednesday night after underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered in the first round of last year’s postseason. Porzingis finished with 16 points in the team’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, and although there will likely be more rust to follow, he is not someone to take lightly.
Slowing down these two will undoubtedly be a tall task for the Milwaukee Bucks, and it will be interesting to see how they plan to keep them in check. Jrue Holiday will likely find himself glued to Doncic’s hip, while Giannis Antetokounmpo will get his opportunity to challenge Porzingis. Still, only time will tell what head coach Mike Budenholzer has in store to make it an uphill battle for these two all night.