Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory when visiting Memphis Grizzlies
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks will close out the first half of the 2020-21 NBA season tonight as they visit the ascending Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis has won three of their last four games and currently sit at one game above .500 with a 16-15 record. Led by reigning Rookie of the Year Ja Morant, the Grizzlies sit at 10th place in the loaded Western Conference, and they could prove troublesome for the Bucks following their latest loss.
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The Bucks started March off on the wrong foot by losing 128-97 to the Denver Nuggets in an embarrassing fashion. After winning their previous five consecutive games, Tuesday’s defeat puts Milwaukee at 21-14 on the season, still good enough for third in the Eastern Conference.
This team is still searching for consistency after a wild start, and they would love to close out the first half of the season and head into the All-Star break with a win tonight.
If they plan to do so, here are three keys to victory the Bucks should emphasize against the Grizzlies.
First key to victory when visiting Memphis Grizzlies — Milwaukee Bucks must limit turnovers or they will pay
The Bucks have been one of the better teams at keeping the basketball on a tight string this season and are producing very few turnovers this season. That control will be pivotal against a Grizzlies team that thrives off their opponent’s mistakes.
Memphis is at the top of the field in terms of scoring off opponent’s turnovers by managing to put up an impressive 20.9 points on the board per game on such opportunities. Thanks to their scrappy play on the defensive end, the Grizzlies have been fantastic at creating turnovers this season, and they have rewarded themselves by putting a sizeable amount of extra points up on the other end.
As simple as it sounds, Milwaukee must take care of the ball with extra care in this contest, limiting sloppy mistakes that were on display in the Denver game.
For a team that produces just 13.5 turnovers per game this season, the 23rd best mark in the league, they are well positioned to do so. However, with Memphis snatching the most steals among all 30 teams in the league at 10 per game, they could prove pesky for the Bucks in this one.