Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 10th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The NBA Cup quarterfinals will commence on Tuesday evening, with the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Orlando Magic.
The Magic will arrive in Milwaukee fresh off a 115-110 victory against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, maintaining their perfect home record of 10-0 this season.
Jalen Suggs led the way for the Magic with 26 points, 14 of which were scored in the final quarter. Goga Bitadze also had an impressive performance with 21 points and 16 rebounds.
See also:
TV viewership for NBA Christmas games up 84% from last year
See also:
Heat's Pat Riley Denies Trading Jimmy Butler
"It was a team effort. Everyone who played stepped up and contributed," said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. "That's what we are as a team - we defend, support each other, and play for one another."
The Bucks are returning home after a two-game road trip to Boston and Brooklyn. They ended their two-game losing streak with a 118-113 win against the Nets on Sunday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 34 points and 11 rebounds. Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr. also had strong performances off the bench, scoring 23 and 20 points respectively. Damian Lillard contributed 15 points and 11 assists.
"There was a point where the game was slipping away from us, and Giannis took control," said Bucks coach Doc Rivers. "That's what makes him such a great player - he sensed it and stayed aggressive, making the right plays."
Antetokounmpo is currently leading the NBA in scoring with an average of 32.5 points per game, and is also the top rebounder for the Bucks with 11.6 per game. Lillard leads the team in assists with an average of 7.5 per game.
Orlando's Franz Wagner, who is currently out with a torn oblique, leads the team in scoring, assists, and steals with averages of 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Bitadze is the top rebounder and shot blocker for the Magic, averaging 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
In terms of injuries, Wagner is expected to be re-evaluated in January after sustaining his injury on December 7th. He joins fellow young star Paolo Banchero on the sidelines, who is also out with a torn oblique.
See also:
Chauncey Billups, Blazers coach, will be absent for 2 games
See also:
Keshad Johnson, Impressive G League Player, Joins Heat Roster
After Sunday's game, Mosley provided an update on Banchero's progress: "He's responding well to the treatment we have him doing, but we are taking it one day at a time and monitoring his progress."
Mosley did not provide a specific timeline for Banchero's return.
Orlando's Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris both missed Sunday's game due to hamstring injuries. Harris will also be out for Tuesday's game, while Isaac is listed as questionable.
Despite their injuries and a slow start to the season with a record of 3-6, the Magic have managed to climb to the top of the Southeast Division, largely due to their strong defense. They currently rank third in the NBA with a defensive rating of 105.7.
The Bucks, on the other hand, have a more balanced approach with a ranking of 10th in offensive rating (113.9) and 14th in defensive rating (113.0). They excel in 3-point shooting, ranking third in the league with a 3-point percentage of 39.4%.
The Bucks are now fully healthy after Khris Middleton made his season debut on Friday against Boston. The three-time All-Star scored 11 points in 20 minutes during Sunday's game.
The Bucks currently hold a 73-55 lead in the all-time series against the Magic. They had a 14-game winning streak against Orlando before last season, when the teams split their four matchups. The Magic have not won a season series against the Bucks since sweeping them in four games during the 2011-12 season.
The winner of Tuesday's game will advance to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas on Saturday, where they will face the winner of Wednesday night's matchup between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks.
Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton recorded double-doubles Saturday afternoon as the Milwaukee Bucks returned to the court and made short work of the Orlando Magic 118-104 to finish off a 4-1 win in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando.
Three days after walking out to protest the recent shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., the Bucks led by as many as 21 points in coasting to a fourth straight win that vaults the top seed into an Eastern semifinal matchup with the fifth-seeded Miami Heat.
The best-of-seven between the Bucks and Heat tips off Monday night.
Antetokounmpo put up game-highs in points (28) and rebounds (17) in leading the Bucks to their second straight first-round series win after they had been eliminated there in eight consecutive trips to the postseason.
Middleton chipped in with 21 points, 10 rebounds and a team-high seven assists, as Milwaukee rebounded from a shocking 122-110 loss to its eighth-seeded opponent in Game 1 with four victories by an average of 14.5 points.
The Magic, who had a losing record (33-40) in the regular season, were led by Nikola Vucevic's 22 points and 15 rebounds.
Milwaukee bolted out to as many as a 10-point lead in the first quarter and 17-point advantage in the second period.
Down 21 in the third quarter and 90-79 entering the final period, the Magic used a 3-pointer from Evan Fournier to climb within 96-93 with 7:39 to play.
But Marvin Williams countered with a three of his own for the Bucks to double the margin, and Milwaukee never led again by fewer than six.
Antetokounmpo hit 11 of his 17 shots en route to his 28 points for the Bucks, who outshot the Magic 45.5 percent to 39.4.
Antetokounmpo and Middleton bombed in three 3-pointers apiece, and Williams connected on four in five attempts to account for all 12 of his points off the bench.
Brook Lopez added 16 points, George Hill 11 and Eric Bledsoe 10 for the Bucks, who lost two straight in the regular season to Miami before beating the Heat 130-116 earlier this month after the restart.
Fournier finished with 18 points, D.J. Augustin 15, Markelle Fultz 14 and Terrence Ross 13 for the Magic, who bowed out of the playoffs in the first round for the fourth consecutive time.