Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks: How to Watch Game Preview, TV Channel, Betting Odds

The Nets close out the season series tonight in Milwaukee.

Dec 26, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) defends Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) during the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In their final meeting of the 2024-25 campaign, the Brooklyn Nets travel to Milwaukee to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. The visitors are 1-2 against their Eastern Conference foes this season and look to break a three-game losing streak this evening.

ODDS: 

The Nets enter the day as 14-point underdogs to the Bucks, and the total over/under is 219.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME: 

1. Unleash the Russell-Thomas backcourt (if he's healthy). Cam Thomas missed D'Angelo Russell's re-debut with Brooklyn on Wednesday with a hamstring injury, one game after he returned to the lineup after 13 straight absences. Russell exploded for 22 points and 8 assists through just 26 minutes of his first action back in a Nets uniform, creating a scary dynamic once the two are deployed together.

2. Rekindle the Russell-Simmons chemistry. Thomas isn't the only teammate Russell must share chemistry with. He and Ben Simmons were high school teammates back at Montverde Academy. If the two can re-establish the rapport they had many years ago, Brooklyn's pick-and-roll can become a major part of its offensive identity.

3. Halt the "Greek Freak." He missed the previous matchup with the Nets, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is amid one of his best seasons as a pro. He's been a walking 30-piece this year, averaging a career-high 32 points per game. The Nets interior defense has been suspect at best this year, forcing a major emphasis on containing Antetokounmpo down low.

RECORDS: 

Brooklyn Nets (12-21) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (17-14)

INJURIES: 

Check out Nets on SI later today for an updated injury report.

WHEN: 

January 2, 2025 at 8 p.m. EST.

LOCATION: 

Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee WI

TV/RADIO: 

YES Network, NBA League Pass, WFAN (660AM/101.9FM)

FINAL WORD:  

Following the closing act of a three-game road trip, Brooklyn gets a trio of home games in just four days. It hosts the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons over that stretch, all pivotal conference cashes throughout early January.

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