Undeterred by accidents, Magic battle Bucks in NBA Cup quarterfinals

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NBA Cup quarterfinal play will get underway on Tuesday night time, with the Milwaukee Bucks internet hosting the Orlando Magic.

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The Magic enter Milwaukee following a 115-110 win over Phoenix on Sunday to stay the one group undefeated at house this season .

Jalen Suggs led the best way with 26 factors, together with 14 within the remaining quarter. Goga Bitadze added 21 factors and 16 rebounds.

“It was by committee. Each person that played stepped up, gave to the group,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned. “That’s what we said this team is, we’re gonna defend, pull for one another and try to play the right way for one another.”

The Bucks return house from a two-game journey to Boston and Brooklyn. They snapped a two-game skid with a 118-113 win over the Nets on Sunday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 34 factors together with 11 boards. Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr. added 23 and 20 factors off the bench, respectively, and Damian Lillard scored 15 whereas dishing 11 assists.

“They had that stretch where they were about to get away from us, and Giannis took the game over,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned. “That’s what makes him so great, he sensed that. Stayed aggressive, made the right plays.”

Antetokounmpo leads the NBA with 32.5 factors per recreation and is first on the Bucks in rebounding at 11.6. Lillard leads Milwaukee in assists at 7.5 per recreation.

Franz Wagner, who’s out with a torn indirect, leads Orlando with 24.4 factors, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals per recreation. Bitadze is the Magic’s high rebounder and shot blocker .

On the damage entrance, Wagner went down on Dec. 7 and might be re-evaluated in January, becoming a member of younger star Paolo Banchero on the sidelines.

After Sunday’s recreation, Mosley gave an replace on Banchero: “He’s responded to the things that we’re having him do, but we’ll take it one day at a time and see how he responds each day.”

Mosley didn’t give an up to date timeline for Banchero’s return.

Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris missed Sunday’s recreation for Orlando with hamstring accidents. Harris may even miss Tuesday’s recreation, whereas Isaac is questionable.

Regardless of Orlando’s damage woes and a 3-6 begin, it has surged to first place within the Southeast Division thanks largely to its protection. The Magic entered Monday third within the NBA with a 105.7 defensive ranking.

Milwaukee is extra balanced, rating tenth in offensive ranking and 14th on protection , though it excels from deep, rating third in 3-point share getting into Monday.

The Bucks are absolutely wholesome after Khris Middleton made his season debut on Friday in Boston. The three-time All-Star scored 11 factors in 20 minutes on Sunday.

The Bucks lead the all-time sequence 73-55. They’d a 14-game win streak over Orlando going into final season, when the groups cut up 4 video games. The Magic haven’t received a season sequence over Milwaukee since a four-game sweep within the 2011-12 season.

The winner will head to Las Vegas on Saturday to compete within the NBA Cup semifinals in opposition to the winner of Wednesday night time’s New York Knicks-Atlanta Hawks matchup.

Area Stage Media