Bucks Zone

Game day preview and injury report: The Milwaukee Bucks visit Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets

The Bucks are set to play their fierce rival tonight, but they might be short-handed.

Matthew Dugandzic

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The Milwaukee Bucks (22-9) are set to play their Eastern Conference rivals, the Brooklyn Nets (20-12) in a highly anticipated matchup that could be a preview of a playoff series for the 2023 postseason.

Game preview

Naturally, this game is viewed as a battle between two superstars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant. But with the Greek Freak on the injury report, tonight could be an uphill battle for the Bucks, as they will most likely be taking on the rising Nets without their leader.

After a turbulent start to the season, controversies around KD's trade request, Kyrie Irving's off-court troubles, and the ultimate firing of Steve Nash, it seemed the talented Brooklyn squad was destined for failure. But with Jacques Vaughn stepping up to the head coaching role, the Nets completely turned around their season.

They have climbed all the way to the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 20-12 record, looking like a legit contender. Kevin Durant is playing on an MVP level (30.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.3 apg), and Kyrie Irving has started to make rounds with his basketball play rather than off-court activities, averaging 26.1 ppg along with 4.5 rpg and 4.3 apg.

But it has not been all around their two superstars, as the supporting cast has slowly upped their game. Guys like Seth Curry, Joe Harris, Nic Claxton, and Ben Simmons all had their moments, proving they can be relied upon.

Milwaukee will have a tough task playing probably without Giannis and Khris Middleton. Jrue Holiday will take the role of the leader, but he will need a full team effort from the whole squad to grab a win in Brooklyn. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis Jr. have an advantage down low over the Nets bigs and they might be the key for this game.

Injury report

Giannis Antetokounmpo is questionable with knee soreness, and Khris Middleton is still out.

For the Nets, Yuta Watanabe is day-to-day and questionable for tonight's game.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.