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Gameday preview, injury report: Milwaukee Bucks look for back-to-back wins vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Bucks beat the Sixers in their first meeting this season.

Matthew Dugandzic

Gameday preview, injury report: Milwaukee Bucks look for back-to-back wins vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Gameday preview, injury report: Milwaukee Bucks look for back-to-back wins vs. Philadelphia 76ers /
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The Milwaukee Bucks will try to follow up on their big win in Minnesota as they square off with the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Milwaukee opened a two-game road trip with a huge 112-107 win over the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves on Friday night. The victory snapped Milwaukee’s two-game slide and also ended Minnesota’s four-game winning streak.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard starred in the win, with Giannis finishing with 33 points and 13 rebounds and Lillard tallying 21 points, 10 assists, and a season-high nine rebounds. Damian helped seal the win for the Bucks by sinking a crucial jumper in the final 10 seconds.

Milwaukee is 4-7 under coach Doc Rivers and 36-21 on the season, good for third place in the Eastern Conference. They are 13-14 in road games this season. The Sixers are fifth in the East with a 33-23 record. They are 18-12 at home this season.

Milwaukee faces former point guard

The Bucks won in their first meeting with the Sixers this season, 118-117. Lillard led the Bucks in the win with 39 points, while Tyrese Maxey paced the Sixers with 31 points.

The two squads are meeting for the first time since figuring in a deal before the trade deadline. Milwaukee sent Cameron Payne to Philadelphia and got Patrick Beverley in return.

Payne’s numbers have increased with the Sixers, where he has already played six games with averages of 11.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He played 47 games for Milwaukee before the trade and averaged 6.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per outing.

Beverley averaged 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in the 47 games that played for the Sixers. Pat has already played five games with the Bucks, putting up 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per contest.

Injury report

Antetokounmpo (knee patellar tendinitis) is listed as probable for the Bucks, while Khris Middleton (ankle sprain), Chris Livingston (G-League assignment), Ryan Rollins (two-way), and TyTy Washington Jr. (two-way) are out.

Philadelphia will be without Joel Embiid (knee), and Robert Covington (knee). 

Cold-shooting Damian Lillard delivers in Milwaukee's huge win over Minnesota

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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.