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PHILADELPHIA – The Milwaukee Bucks have an excellent chance to win their second game in a row at the Wells Fargo Center tonight as they play the tanking Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia (23-53) began the year with high hopes following the offseason acquisition of Paul George, but injuries to George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and others forced a pivot to draft-pick protection. If the 76ers were to finish outside the top six of the draft lottery, they would turn their pick over to Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City.
With all their injuries and poor play, Philadelphia was struggling anyway, but after a four-game win streak moved them to 19-27 on Jan. 29, the team has gone just 4-26. They are currently on a nine-game losing streak, their second such streak since February.
Milwaukee (41-34) has underachieved and been injured as well, but it has hit a particularly rough stretch since March 5. On that date it had climbed to a season-best 11 games over .500 and within shouting distance of the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Bucks have gone 5-9 since and tumbled into the No. 6 spot in the conference.
The Bucks superstar is probable to play as he continues to manage a sprained foot suffered in Phoenix on March 24. He missed one game with the injury (March 26) but has played the past three games and averaged 32.7 points and 7.7 rebounds and assists per game.
The NBA announced 12 finalists for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award Wednesday, and Bucks center Brook Lopez earned a nomination.
Per the NBA, the annual award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on and off the court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to their team.”
Jrue Holiday won the award in consecutive seasons while with the Bucks in 2022 and 2023. He is the only three-time winner of the award. Current Bucks guard Damian Lillard won the award while with Portland in 2021.Other nominees include Steven Adams (Houston), Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Jalen Brunson (New York), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Tobias Harris (Detroit), Al Horford (Boston), Jaren Jackson (Memphis), James Johnson (Indiana), DeAndre Jordan (Denver), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland) and Jaylin Williams (Oklahoma City).
The award was founded in the 2012-13 season and is named after Rochester/Cincinnati Royals teammates Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes. Stokes suffered a head injury during a game in 1958 and was later paralyzed, and Twyman became his legal guardian until Stokes’ death in 1970.
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network with Lisa Byington, Steve Novak and Melanie Ricks on the call.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
Milwaukee is an 11.5-point favorite over Philadelphia with the over/under set at 226.5 per BetMGM.
Heading into Thursday night’s games, here is what the Eastern Conference playoff bracket looks like:
No. 1 Cleveland vs. No. 8 Play-in winnerNo. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 DetroitNo. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Play-in winnerNo. 3 New York vs. No. 6 Milwaukee
Heading into Thursday’s games, here is what the standings look like through the play-in spots in the East:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing? Starters, odds, game time
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Philadelphia (23-53) began the year with high hopes following the offseason acquisition of Paul George, but injuries to George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and others forced a pivot to draft-pick protection. If the 76ers were to finish outside the top six of the draft lottery, they would turn their pick over to Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City.
With all their injuries and poor play, Philadelphia was struggling anyway, but after a four-game win streak moved them to 19-27 on Jan. 29, the team has gone just 4-26. They are currently on a nine-game losing streak, their second such streak since February.
Milwaukee (41-34) has underachieved and been injured as well, but it has hit a particularly rough stretch since March 5. On that date it had climbed to a season-best 11 games over .500 and within shouting distance of the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Bucks have gone 5-9 since and tumbled into the No. 6 spot in the conference.
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Is Giannis playing?
The Bucks superstar is probable to play as he continues to manage a sprained foot suffered in Phoenix on March 24. He missed one game with the injury (March 26) but has played the past three games and averaged 32.7 points and 7.7 rebounds and assists per game.
Brook Lopez finalist for Teammate of the Year
The NBA announced 12 finalists for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award Wednesday, and Bucks center Brook Lopez earned a nomination.
Per the NBA, the annual award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on and off the court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to their team.”
Jrue Holiday won the award in consecutive seasons while with the Bucks in 2022 and 2023. He is the only three-time winner of the award. Current Bucks guard Damian Lillard won the award while with Portland in 2021.Other nominees include Steven Adams (Houston), Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Jalen Brunson (New York), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Tobias Harris (Detroit), Al Horford (Boston), Jaren Jackson (Memphis), James Johnson (Indiana), DeAndre Jordan (Denver), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland) and Jaylin Williams (Oklahoma City).
The award was founded in the 2012-13 season and is named after Rochester/Cincinnati Royals teammates Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes. Stokes suffered a head injury during a game in 1958 and was later paralyzed, and Twyman became his legal guardian until Stokes’ death in 1970.
What channel are the Bucks on?
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network with Lisa Byington, Steve Novak and Melanie Ricks on the call.
What time is the Bucks game?
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
Bucks injury report
- Damian Lillard, out (right calf deep vein thrombosis)
- Jericho Sims, out (right thumb surgery)
- Bobby Portis Jr., out (league suspension)
- AJ Green, questionable (right AC joint sprain)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, probable (left foot sprain)
Bucks probable starting lineup
- Guards: Ryan Rollins, Taurean Prince
- Forwards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma
- Center: Brook Lopez
Bucks vs. 76ers odds, over/under
Milwaukee is an 11.5-point favorite over Philadelphia with the over/under set at 226.5 per BetMGM.
Eastern Conference playoff picture
Heading into Thursday night’s games, here is what the Eastern Conference playoff bracket looks like:
No. 1 Cleveland vs. No. 8 Play-in winnerNo. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 DetroitNo. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Play-in winnerNo. 3 New York vs. No. 6 Milwaukee
Eastern Conference standings
Heading into Thursday’s games, here is what the standings look like through the play-in spots in the East:
- Cleveland (61-15)
- Boston (56-20)
- New York (48-28)
- Indiana (45-31)
- Detroit (42-34)
- Milwaukee (41-33)
- Orlando (37-40)
- Atlanta (36-40)
- Miami (35-41)
- Chicago (34-42)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing? Starters, odds, game time
Continue reading...
