The Milwaukee Bucks would like to have Giannis Antetokounmpo again from a two-game absence whereas the Golden State Warriors hope the house courtroom cures their current ills when the 2 heavyweights duel Saturday evening in San Francisco.
As they embark on a three-game Western swing, the Bucks have received three in a row, together with two straight over the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets with Antetokounmpo sidelined by a sore proper hand.
California native and Stanford alum Brook Lopez has come up massive in Antetokounmpo’s void the final two video games, pouring in 26 factors in opposition to the Magic earlier than stuffing the stat sheet with 24 factors, 10 rebounds and an NBA-season-high 9 blocks in opposition to the Nets.
The 34-year-old famous after the Brooklyn sport that he doesn’t at all times perceive why groups would wish to assault the Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
“I guess I’m not gonna question it, right?” Lopez shrugged. “If someone’s gonna come at the rim, I’m gonna try to be there to stop them from putting the ball in the basket. That’s exactly what I try to do out there. That’s the best way I can describe it.”
Lopez had a pair of blocks to go along with seven factors and 7 rebounds in Milwaukee’s 128-111 residence win over the Warriors within the golf equipment’ solely earlier assembly this season again in December.
Antetokounmpo, who stays questionable for Saturday’s rematch, paced the Bucks with 30 factors, however shot simply 9-for-26 general and 1-for-6 on 3-point makes an attempt in his eleventh profession head-to-head with fellow defensive stalwart Draymond Green.
It wasn’t the primary time the two-time MVP has struggled in opposition to Green. Antetokounmpo has averaged simply 19.5 factors and seven.5 rebounds in these video games, capturing 47 p.c general and 21 p.c on 3-pointers.
Green, who has battled his rival nearly to a standstill on the boards in these video games (7.5-7.1), has gotten the higher of Antetokounmpo in assists (5.9-4.5) and steals (1.5-1.3) in main Golden State to seven wins within the 11 contests.
Green had 16 factors in a head-to-head with Jaren Jackson Jr. in Golden State’s 131-110 loss at Memphis on Thursday, the membership’s eighth straight street defeat.
However, Golden State has received six in a row at residence, 5 approaching their most up-to-date homestand once they rallied from behind 5 straight occasions to beat the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans.
While they need to be comforted in returning to the positioning of 27 wins in 34 video games, the Warriors doubtless will achieve this as soon as once more with out Andrew Wiggins, who has missed 10 straight video games whereas tending to private issues, and Gary Payton II, who has sat out 12 in a row due to belly points.
Jonathan Kuminga joined them on the sidelines in Memphis after spraining his proper ankle in warmups, and likewise is unlikely to go Saturday.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr felt Kuminga’s defensive power was missed in opposition to the Grizzlies.
“I thought there were plays right away where we didn’t get into the ball (en route to falling behind by 20 points in the first quarter),” Kerr noticed. “We were really soft on the ball and not being the aggressor.”
