Milwaukee rolls into this game having won four of its last five games, and as winners of three-consecutive road games. The team’s latest win came against the Suns on Sunday night, during which Giannis Antetokounmpo flirted with yet another triple-double with a game-high 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
The Greek Freak got some help from the second unit, with Michael Beasley’s 17 points leading all bench scorers. He’s turned into a bright spot lately, averaging nearly 20 points in the previous four games.
The Bucks, however, have lost the last two meetings with Cleveland despite winning the opener this season. Those were games where Jabari Parker was still playing, so getting a road win in this series finale will obviously be several times harder without him.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 24.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists through nine games in February.
The status of LeBron James is still unclear. He was forced to sit out last Saturday’s game due to a strep throat. His absence, unfortunately, turned into a 117-99 loss to the Bulls, snapping Cleveland’s four-game winning run.
The Cavs also fell to 0-4 on the year when James is out of the lineup, which is another proof of just how relevant the King is to his team. He’s averaging 25.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.9 assists this season, and if his services won’t be available again tonight versus the Bucks, the defending champs are going to be very beatable.
Kyrie Irving was a one-man show in the loss to Chicago, finishing with 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. That stat line puts a smile on the faces of his fantasy owners, but not to his face, teammates or coaches.
Like James, Kyle Korver’s availability is also up in the air after suffering a bruised right knee in the final quarter versus the Bulls. He scored 14 points off the bench prior to the injury.
Cleveland is 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Cleveland (-10.5) wins and covers if James plays. If not, I see the Bucks stealing this one on the road.
