3 things to watch as Milwaukee Bucks visit Cleveland Cavaliers

Can Donte DiVincenzo build on a strong performance in his last game?

The only downside to the Bucks’ three-day break was that it came right after Donte DiVincenzo had, easily, his best game of the season against the Sacramento Kings.

In 24 minutes of action, DiVincenzo scored 20 points on nearly 80 percent true shooting (6-of-10 from the field, 5-of-6 from the line) to go along with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

The most encouraging thing for fans was that DiVincenzo went 3-of-5 on 2-point attempts (as well as on 3s) after only making two 2-point attempts in his first nine games.

In going through all of DiVincenzo’s attempts before the game against the Kings, I noticed that he still had the burst to get to the rim and was generating solid looks for himself, but lacked the finishing. That was a common problem last season, but it was a positive sign that he still had his burst after ankle surgery.

It almost had to be a mental thing where he was missing so badly on those open layup attempts so perhaps seeing a few go down in a single game will help get him out of his head. Whether or not you believe the Bucks should look to move DiVincenzo at the upcoming trade deadline, you want to see him build off that strong performance to either build his trade value or his confidence to help the Bucks’ title defense.

It won’t be easy against the aforementioned Cavaliers’ vaunted interior defense, but even if he can take that game against the Kings and use it as a reminder that he can finish at the rim despite the surgery, that’s a positive.

It should be a fun game for the rested Bucks against a team that will want to prove they can hang with the defending champs.