[ad_1]
Third quarter report
The Bucks and Hornets have shown up for the game, but their offenses have not. The Bucks have a bit of protection as they currently lead the Hornets 99-63. The Bucks suffered a big blow to their ego last Thursday, so a win here would be a nice boost.
The Bucks began the game with three consecutive losses and are on their way to four. Can they turn things around or will the Hornets hand them another loss? Only time will tell.
Who is playing
Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks
Current records: Charlotte 10-40, Milwaukee 33-19
How to watch
- When: Friday, February 9, 2024 at 8 pm ET
- Where: Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- TELEVISION: Bally Sports SE Charlotte
- Continue: CBS Sports App
- Online transmission: fuboTV (Try it for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $39.00
What to know
The Hornets have enjoyed a three-game homestand, but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:00 pm ET on Friday at Fiserv Forum. Since both teams suffered a loss in their last game, both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
The Hornets went down a difficult road last season and, unfortunately for them, the road hasn’t gotten any easier. They took a 123-117 hit to the loss column at the hands of Toronto. That’s two games in a row now that the Hornets have lost by exactly six points.
The Hornets’ loss came despite quality play from Miles Bridges, who went 6-of-11 from beyond the arc en route to 45 points and 7 assists. In fact, that’s the most points Bridges has scored all season. Less useful for the Hornets was PJ Washington’s dismal 0-for-5 three-point shooting.
Meanwhile, the Bucks’ recent slump got a little tougher Thursday after their third straight loss. Their painful 129-105 loss to Minnesota could stay with them for a while. The Bucks were down 102-75 at the end of the third quarter, which was too much to recover from.
Despite the loss, the Bucks got strong performances from AJ Green, who went 7-of-8 from beyond the arc en route to 27 points and 3 assists, and Jae Crowder, who scored 21 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Green didn’t help the Bucks’ cause much against the Suns on Tuesday, but the same can’t be said for this game.
Charlotte dropped its record to 10-40 with that loss, which was its eighth straight at home. That poor performance could be attributed to the team’s mediocre offensive performance during that stretch, as they only averaged 106.4 points per game. As for Milwaukee, they haven’t been strong recently as the team lost five of their last six games, making a notable dent in their 33-19 record this season.
In this contest the number of possessions is likely to be a major factor: the Hornets have not given the ball away easily this season, having averaged just 12.9 turnovers per game. It’s not like the Bucks are struggling in that department, though, as they’ve averaged just 12.5 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Hornets should know they are fighting an uphill battle given the 14-point deficit they face. This contest will be their 12th consecutive contest as the underdogs (so far in this stretch they are 4-7 against the spread).
Odd
Milwaukee is a big 14-point favorite against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Bettors had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game began with the Bucks as 14.5-point favorites.
The over/under is set at 231 points.
See NBA selections for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Milwaukee has won 6 of its last 10 games against Charlotte.
- November 17, 2023: Milwaukee 130 vs. Charlotte 99
- January 31, 2023: Milwaukee 124 vs. Charlotte 115
- January 6, 2023: Charlotte 138 vs. Milwaukee 109
- December 3, 2022: Milwaukee 105 vs. Charlotte 96
- February 28, 2022: Milwaukee 130 vs. Charlotte 106
- January 10, 2022: Charlotte 103 vs. Milwaukee 99
- January 8, 2022: Charlotte 114 vs. Milwaukee 106
- December 1, 2021: Milwaukee 127 vs. Charlotte 125
- April 27, 2021: Milwaukee 114 vs. Charlotte 104
- April 9, 2021: Charlotte 127 vs. Milwaukee 119
[ad_2]
Source link