The Milwaukee Bucks play their second last home game of the season, a dead rubber against a Cleveland Cavaliers outfit with plenty to prove. Join The Roar for live scores from 10am (AEDT).
The Bucks’ season is done and dusted, with absolutely no chance of making the play-offs.
Sitting four spots from the bottom of the Eastern Conference though means they aren’t likely to get a top-five draft pick, and so losing games is of little use to them.
Rather, they should be trying to build for next season.
Plenty of players on the roster will be keen for big performances as well, with contracts up in the air. Opportunities will certainly be there, with Khris Middleton, who has been averaging 18 points per game, likely to sit out through injury.
Milwaukee will aim to keep the match low scoring, and allow Greg Monroe, who has averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per contest, to take over. They have managed to win two games in the last week, against Orlando and Phoenix, but they are the only two victories in their last seven matches.
Meanwhile, with the post-season just around the corner, many would have expected the Cavs to rest players, but it looks as though they’ll be at full strength, with offensive structures struggling for consistency and execution.
LeBron James has been the key all season, and if he doesn’t fire they struggle. Kyrie Irving needs to get some creativity and unpredictableness into their offence.
Even more worrying for the Cavaliers, despite winning four of their last six, is the way effort seems to fall away in the final quarter of games. They have been outscored in a majority of final quarters over the last month, and it is simply not acceptable if they are going to challenge for the championship.
This will be the side’s fourth meeting this year, with the Bucks currently leading the season series two games to one.
Prediction
The Bucks might be at home, but a full-strength Cavaliers outfit will run riot as they build into the playoffs.
Cavaliers by 18.
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