Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks Preview
Tonight we will have a battle between two of the top teams in the East, because that is the level the Cavs are bringing to the table as of lately, with the addition of Donovan Mitchell. It will be an interesting contest, as they both have almost the same record while being 5-5 in the last 10 matches.
The favorites are still the Bucks, as they are playing at home and with a slight man advantage. The Cavs are without one of their starters and one of their main bench guys, Caris LeVert is out because of an ankle injury, while Kevin Love has a problem with his thumb and is listed out for tonight’s game.
Even though Cleveland will miss these two important guys, they still have a chance to pull this out, because as I said in a previous article, there is a lot of talent available in the roster, with guys such as Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and Jarrett Allen, who provides a strong presence under the rim, which is much needed versus the Bucks and especially vs Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Coming into this game, the Bucks have a 1-0 advantage this season against the Cavs. They won at home, 113 to 98 on 17 November, in a game where Jarrett Allen was unavailable due to an ankle injury, so that was an important factor for Cleveland’s big margin loss. This time, he will be on the court, and the result will be different.
Both Milwaukee and Cleveland have started the season almost the same, not only record-wise but in other categories, as well. The Bucks are 4th in Opponent Points per Game, allowing only 107.5 points per contest, while the Cavs are ranked 5th, with 107.6 OPPG. From the offensive point of view, Cleveland has a slight advantage, by scoring 115.5 PPG (8th in the league) compared to the 111.5 PPG (16th in the league) of the Bucks. All these stats are showing us that this is going to be a fun and balanced matchup, and if the Cavaliers can somehow stop Giannis from attacking the rim, they have a fair chance to take home the win.
