Milwaukee Bucks: 3 matchups to watch for against the Brooklyn Nets

The Milwaukee Bucks will kick off a two-game miniseries against the Brooklyn Nets Sunday afternoon in what could be a potential playoff preview soon enough.

These two teams have faced off once this season, that being a January 18 matchup that came down to the final seconds. With Khris Middleton’s 3-pointer just missing the mark at the buzzer, the Bucks heartbreakingly fell to the Nets 125-123.

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Plenty has changed since then between these two contenders, but the one variable that has remained constant is the fight for positioning in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Nets currently sit atop the East with a 43-21 record, 3.5 games ahead of the third seed Bucks with a 39-24 record. If Milwaukee will gain ground in the standings and continue their push for higher seeding in the final few games, taking advantage of this opportunity will be pivotal.

While the health of both of these teams could ultimately be the deciding factor in potential matchups, there is no shortage of star-power between these two rosters. With that being said, here are three matchups to monitor heading into Bucks versus Nets.

First matchup for Milwaukee Bucks — Khris Middleton versus Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is undoubtedly one of the most gifted scorers in NBA history, which certainly made him a tough cover for Khris Middleton in the first meeting of the season between the two.

Per NBA.com/stats, Durant scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor (3-of-4 from the free throw line) in just under seven minutes when being guarded by Middleton. Durant’s size and length make him a tough cover for any player and Middleton was not the most favorable matchup.

Meanwhile, Durant did a better job of keeping Middleton in check during the six minutes where he was on the defensive end. Middleton scored just six points on 2-of-5 shooting (0-for-2 from behind the arc) in their matchup, struggling to find a rhythm offensively against the 6’10” Durant.

These two will get their individual share of looks at each other once again in these next two games and it will be interesting to see how Middleton responds. These are two of the craftiest scorers in the league and seeing them go head-to-head will be a must-see moment.

One thing that might dial down the extended matchups between Middleton and Durant is the presence of P.J. Tucker. The Bucks had not yet acquired the defensive specialist in the first meeting of the season with the Nets, but they will utilize him this time around. They traded for him specifically to match up against players like Durant, but Middleton will almost certainly see some time as well.

It remains to be seen whether Durant will play in this game or not after he missed Brooklyn’s matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers Friday for “injury management.”