The Milwaukee Bucks will take on the Orlando Magic for the first time this season on Tuesday, with a trip to Las Vegas on the line in this NBA Cup quarter-final matchup.
Milwaukee has managed to get itself back to full health; Orlando, on the other hand, is missing a lot of key players. Let's take a look at the current injury report.
Bucks injury report for Tuesday
Probable: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Right patella tendinopathy)
Khris Middleton (Bilateral ankle surgery),
MarJon Beauchamp (Left hamstring tendinopathy)
Out: Chris Livingston (Left ankle sprain)
Magic injury report for Tuesday
Questionable: Jonathan Isaac (Hamstring strain)
Out: Paolo Banchero (Torn oblique), Franz Wagner (Torn oblique), Gary Harris (Hamstring strain)
Undermanned Magic give Bucks a great opportunity to head to Vegas
Khris Middleton has quickly found his footing in the Bucks rotation, and it has been a great sight to see him be impactful in the clutch once again. Despite this, he is likely to still come off the bench on Tuesday night as the coaching staff continue to manage his minutes. This could be a game for him to get plenty of minutes later on if the Milwaukee Bucks get out to a big lead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has appeared on the injury report a number of times this season, but he will likely play through it. MarJon Beauchamp hasn't really managed to make an impact on the rotation, but it will be interesting to see if he is available. Another player who has struggled to make an impression is Chris Livingston, who has only appeared on three occasions, all in garbage time. He has already been ruled out of the Magic game with a left ankle sprain.
The Magic have just been hit with injury after injury. Paolo Banchero has been the obvious absentee with a torn oblique after such a strong start to the season. Franz Wagner picked up the slack and was playing some high-level basketball. Unfortunately, he also suffered a torn right oblique and will be re-evaluated in the new year.
Gary Harris is also missing this game, and Jonathan Isaac is questionable with a hamstring injury, which could have a huge impact on the game if he does miss out, as he is one of the few players in the league who can match Giannis Antetokounmpo in both length and physicality.
Following back-to-back defeats, the Bucks returned to winning ways in Brooklyn on Sunday and will look to book their place in Vegas to face the Atlanta Hawks or New York Knicks. Despite the injuries, Orlando did beat the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and will fancy their chances to cause an upset. These two teams split a four-game series last season and will face each other twice in mid-January.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.