GAME THREAD: Milwaukee Bucks @ Orlando Magic

[IronMaiden 43]

Just wanted to start a game thread here one time. Let's do this. :creaturedance:

 

Preview from ESPN.com:

http://espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=400578415

 

The Milwaukee Bucks are feeling good after earning back-to-back wins for the first time in two seasons.

 

Another victory could be hard to come by with a visit to Orlando up next.

 

The Bucks try to avoid a 17th consecutive road loss to the Magic on Friday night.

 

Milwaukee (4-4) is back at .500 after beating Memphis 93-92 on Saturday and Oklahoma City 85-78 on Tuesday. O.J. Mayo led the way with 19 points off the bench as the Bucks held the Thunder to 33.3 percent shooting.

 

"A lot of people won't remember November or December, they only talk about March and April," coach Jason Kidd said. "So for us, we need to stay in the moment and continue to work hard, trust one another, understand we haven't achieved anything and stay hungry."

 

The Bucks haven't won three in row since a four-game run Feb. 26-March 4, 2013.

 

"With veteran teams, they can sometimes turn it on and off. But for us, we have to be consistent," said Brandon Knight, averaging a team-leading 17.4 points. "We have to build the right habits. As a younger team, we have to do it each and every day."

 

Knight has averaged 21.0 points in leading Milwaukee to back-to-back wins over the Magic, but both those games came at home. The Bucks have been outscored by an average of 13.2 points at Orlando since winning 111-105 on Dec. 29, 2004.

 

The Magic (3-6) return home after closing a 1-2 road trip with Wednesday's 97-95 win at New York. Evan Fournier scored a career-high 28 points after finishing with 24 in a 104-100 loss at Toronto the night before.

 

"It's good to see us bounce back like we did," forward Tobias Harris told the team's official website. "That's good to see because we really played some good basketball in these two games. It shows us taking the right step and making the push as a team."

 

Fournier has been a big part of that since coming over from Denver in exchange for Arron Afflalo in June. The 22-year-old Frenchman, who averaged 7.4 points in his first two seasons, has scored 18.2 per game to rank just behind Nikola Vucevic's team-leading 18.7.

 

"Evan is playing great for us and he's making plays for himself and for other people," Vucevic said. "And he's still new to the team, so he's only going to get better and more comfortable."

 

While Victor Oladipo's much-anticipated debut could push Fournier to the bench, the second-year guard isn't expected back for this game. Oladipo has been sidelined with a facial fracture suffered four days before the season started.

 

Harris, acquired from Milwaukee in a six-player trade in February 2013, is averaging 24.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in two home games against his former team. He's averaging 16.9 points this season.

 

The Bucks are averaging an NBA-best 46.4 points off the bench -- 20.3 more than the Magic -- and are near the top with a defensive rating of 94.2, the number of points allowed per 100 possessions. Orlando ranks in the middle of the pack at 103.9.

 

At 6-39, Milwaukee owns the league's second-worst road record since the start of last season. Only the Magic have been worse at 6-41.

[O_SteveO 102]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfVitXBMWY0

 

I would love to see Gordon get minutes against Parker. It will also be interesting to see how Payton does against Knight. I think he has a chance to have another impressive game.

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,031]

I have a bad feeling about this game but I hope we win

[ILoveOrlandoMagic 12]

I have a bad feeling about this game but I hope we win

 

Me too

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

With Milwaukee's size we could see some weird lineups.

 

Fournier-Gordon-harris-frye-Vuc

 

Defending

 

Antetokompo-parker-Middleton- sanders-Henson

 

That would be fun.

[Franchero MVP 391]

Magic's Victor Oladipo could play tonight against Bucks

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/breakingnews/os-victor-oladipo-could-play-tonight-against-bucks-20141114-story.html

[Malik Buttface 57]

Any word if Dipo is going to play tonight?

[~O~ 565]

This is going to be an interesting game. I'm really looking forward to watching *stops for a second to look up his name in another tab*, Giannis Antetokounmpo. That last name is an adventure.

 

Word is, he's been really great for this buck team along with Brandon Knight. We already knew Jabari Parker was't going to be a disappointment. What I really want to see is who is going to be their Nameless Scrub that essentially goes off on us. Hmm. Zaza Pachulia. Interesting.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

@JoshuaBRobbins: The Magic will activate Victor Oladipo for tonight's game.

[barnettej 263]

@JoshuaBRobbins: The Magic will activate Victor Oladipo for tonight's game.

 

Sweet

[~O~ 565]

The party has begun.

[chosen12 75]

@JoshuaBRobbins: The Magic will activate Victor Oladipo for tonight's game.

 

 

Excellent!!!