The Milwaukee Bucks will travel to Cleveland tonight to take on the Cavaliers. Milwaukee has a record of 5-8, which places them 4th in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. Cleveland has a record of 5-8, which places them 5th in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. Both teams are in need of a win in this game, as both Milwaukee and Cleveland have dropped their last three games.
Offensively, Milwaukee is abysmal. They are dead last in the NBA in points per game, as they average just 91.4 points per game. They do a good job of rebounding, though, as they average 44.6 rebounds per game. Brandon Jennings is having another great year, as he is averaging 17.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. The problem is, he simply does not have much help. The Bucks really need Andrew Bogut back in the lineup, but he is doubtful for this game as he continues to deal with a back injury. Before his injury, he was averaging 11.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. In order to be a contender, Milwaukee really needs another solid scorer like Jennings.
Milwaukee’s defense is a polar opposite of its anemic offense. They are 1st in the NBA in points allowed, as they give up just 91.1 points per game. Although they lost their last game to Oklahoma City, they held them to just 82 points in the game. In fact, they have given up over 100 points just twice this season, which was to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.
Cleveland averages 96.4 points per game, which is 24th in the league. They are also 24th in rebounds, as they average 40.1 per game. Mo Williams is having a solid year, as he leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game. He also averages 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Williams had a bad game last night, though, as he ended with just 6 points and 3 assists. Anderson Varejao is having a good year, as he is averaging 9.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Last night, the starters for Cleveland were terrible, combining for just 32 points.
Cleveland’s defense has struggled for most of this season. They allow an average of 101.3 points per game, which is 19th in the league. Last night, they gave up 100 points in a loss to Indiana. If they hope to become a contender in their division, they have to get better on defense.
This game has the potential to be a great game. Both teams are in need of a win, and that typically leads to very close, tense games. While Cleveland’s defense has been fairly poor this year, Milwaukee’s offense has been very bad as well. Milwaukee has to figure out a way to score points, while Cleveland has to figure out a way to stop their opponents. It will be interesting to see which one figures it out in time for this game.