Bucks at Rockets
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets both fell short of high expectations last season and are determined to make 2019-20 the year they advance to the NBA Finals. Both teams will be trying to start off on the right foot when the last three NBA MVPs square off with the Bucks visiting the Rockets on Thursday.
Houston once again fell to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference playoffs last season and decided the move it needed to make to get to the top was to add another MVP to the roster, dealing Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a package to acquire Russell Westbrook and pair him in the backcourt with James Harden. "It's a good thing," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who coach LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to a pair of NBA titles with the Heat and closed the preseason against the Rockets, told reporters. "If you want to win and you want to win that last game, you better have some talent. You better have some guys that can do something with the game. Those two guys can. I think it's incredibly interesting to have two MVPs in their prime." The Bucks posted the best record in the NBA during the regular season last year behind MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo but fell short in the Eastern Conference finals and are coming into 2019-20 with some momentum after sweeping through the preseason. "Going 5-0, that doesn't mean nothing, it doesn't count," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "As we move forward, we know it gets harder and harder and harder. Hopefully, in these five games, we built good habits and we can carry it over to the regular season."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE BUCKS (2018-19: 60-22): Milwaukee kept swingman Khris Middleton with a five-year, $178 million contract and returns four of the five starters from last season with point guard Eric Bledsoe and center Brook Lopez also sticking around. "We brought back a big part of the group; we believe in continuity," Bucks general manager Jon Horst told reporters. "... This group looks like they're growing, looks like they're getting better, looks like they fit, and they make sense and that we can compete and sustain success for a long period of time with this group and that's been the goal." Milwaukee's new pieces include Lopez's brother, Robin, and veteran guards Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews, who give the team a pair of perimeter shooting threats.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (2018-19: 53-29): Harden won the league MVP Award in 2017-18 while Westbrook took home the honor in 2016-17 and both are used to having the ball in their hands on every possession. The preseason gave coach Mike D'Antoni a chance to experiment with the rotations and he is committed to giving the two stars as much time on the court together as necessary to build chemistry along with shooting guard Eric Gordon, who figures to be the third option on offense. Front court veterans PJ Tucker, Nene, Tyson Chandler and Clint Capela add toughness on the inside and a defensive presence.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bledsoe is dealing with a rib injury and is questionable for Thursday.
2. Rockets SG Gerald Green (foot) is out indefinitely and could miss the season due to a Lisfranc injury.
3. Milwaukee took both meetings last season with Antetokounmpo averaging 23 points and 17.5 rebounds.