Thunder at Bucks
THE STORY: The Milwaukee Bucks have surged back to the .500 mark -
but surpassing that important milestone will require a win against one
of the league's best clubs. The Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Bradley
Center on Monday looking to halt the Bucks' four-game winning streak.
Milwaukee is coming off a 116-94 drubbing of the Portland Trail Blazers
on Saturday and finds itself in ninth place in the Eastern Conference,
one game back of New York and Philadelphia. The Thunder are coming off a
lopsided win over Toronto on Sunday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Wisconsin
ABOUT THE THUNDER (41-15):
After finding themselves in a battle with the plucky Raptors in the
early going, Oklahoma City put together one of its most dominant
stretches of the season to put the game away. With the outcome still in
doubt in the second half, the Thunder fashioned a 24-0 run bridging the
third and fourth quarters to bring an emphatic end to their three-game
losing skid. It served as a measure of revenge for Oklahoma City, which
dropped both games to Toronto in last year's head-to-head series.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (28-28):
The arrival of Monta Ellis has had a positive effect on Milwaukee's
offense. The club is averaging 105 points over its last five games,
while the defense (95.8 points per game) during that stretch has been
equally as impressive. Ellis, who came to Milwaukee in a deadline deal
with the Golden State Warriors, has been particularly effective during
the club's winning streak. The prolific shooting guard is averaging more
than 22 points per game in that span while shooting nearly 50 percent
from the field.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Thunder held Toronto without a field goal for nearly nine minutes Sunday.
2. The teams last met nearly a year ago, with visiting Milwaukee pulling out a 110-106 overtime victory.
3. Oklahoma City is 12-5 on the back end of back-to-back games.