NBA: Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in a challenging position entering the second of their back-to-back games against the Milwaukee Bucks. Doc Rivers’ side is first in the standings but now has the same record as the Brooklyn Nets, and is only 2.5 games ahead of the Bucks. So we might say that this is the defining moment of the season for all these teams, and that the next few weeks will show in which state they enter the postseason.

Preview

Philadelphia 76ers (39-20, TBA) lost three in a row, in the worst possible moment. That’s why they have the Nets breathing down their neck, as well as the Bucks, who have a swing following Thursday’s win at Fiserv Forum.

Everything was solved following the first period, which saw the hosts breaking Philly’s defense and making a 40-26 lead. Embiid didn’t start the match as planned, and even though he had 24 points, nine hits in 21 attempts and just three boards can describe well what was his impact on the court.

Ben Simmons skipped the match due to illness, and he probably won’t play in the second one as well, which is a massive handicap for the guests. His tempo and creativity are something just a few players have in the league, plus, he can make problems for Giannis in certain aspects of the game. Tobi Harris had 18 points, while Shake Milton scored 20 off the bench.

Milwaukee Bucks (36-22, TBA) bounced back following back-to-back losses against the Grizzlies and the Suns, with the latter one coming following an OT, 128-127, and some pretty controversial situations. However, a win against the Sixers refreshed Giannis and his crew, who now needs to win this match as well, before hitting the road for a four-game tour.

Against the 76ers, Milwaukee dropped 20 threes, eight more than the guests, but also with a high percentage, 50%. That wasn’t the only aspect in which Bucks outplayed the 76ers. They won the battle on the glass, outrebounding Embiid and the rest of the rivals, 45-33.

Giannis had 27 points, but missed 8 of his 18 free throws. The reigning MVP added 16 boards and 6 assists, with two steals. Khris Middleton had 24 buckets, and Bobby Portis scored 23 off the bench with only two misses from the floor, being perfect behind the arc, 5-for-5. Jrue Holiday posted a double-double, 12 points, and 11 assists.

Head to Head Games

Milwaukee won the first game in Philly, 109-105 following an OT, while the second one from this Thursday ended 124-117.

The 76ers had a 19-point lead in the first even, but that didn’t prevent the Bucks from coming back to post a massive success against one of the biggest rivals for the conference throne.

Prediction

This one should be an easy task for the home team, who will again use Simmons’ absence to start dictating the tempo right from the start. Without the former rookie of the year, the 76ers are pretty limited when it comes to creativity and organization in the offense. That is why we expect to see them losing four in a row and probably handing the top spot in the East to Brooklyn.