3 keys in the Milwaukee Bucks interesting matchup vs Memphis Grizzlies

The Milwaukee Bucks will need to find ways to score against the Memphis Grizzlies’ tough interior defense

Because I’m incredibly shameless and love this dude, I want to talk about Jaren Jackson Jr. again and the impact he could have on this game with his defense.

Now, in the first meeting, Giannis Antetokounmpo had no trouble against Jackson Jr. and the Grizzlies defense. He scored 33 points and went 10-of-21 on 2-point attempts and got to the line eight times.

Specifically, against Jackson Jr., Antetokounmpo went 5-of-9 on 2s and drew a foul on him once as well.

Overall, though, Memphis is one of the best interior defenses in the league with opponents shooting a little over 61 percent at the rim (nearly four percent below league average), per Cleaning the Glass (subscription required).

Milwaukee shot nearly 70 percent at the rim against them, which is pretty astounding. That was essentially where they won the game, as they shot pretty mediocre rates from almost every other spot on the floor.

Save for getting another hot shooting night like last game, they’ll need to find a way to attack the interior of the Grizzlies’ defense and that means going against Jackson Jr. Opponents are shooting 45 percent against him this season on 2s as he’s really mastered how to contest shots without fouling as much (though he did pick up five against the Bucks).

Other guys like Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams will also make life tough for the Bucks getting inside, so I’m interested to see how it plays out this time around and especially if Antetokounmpo doesn’t play.

The Milwaukee Bucks face the Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets on this three-game road trip so getting off on the right foot would be ideal.