Bucks at Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder will get their first solid test since Kevin Durant made his season debut, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks. Durant has played the last three games since missing the first 17 with a fractured right foot, but the last five opponents for Oklahoma City had losing records entering Monday. The Bucks have lost four of five and are on verge of dropping below .500 for the first time since the third game of season.
Durant, the reigning NBA MVP, bounced back from his 10-point effort Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers and scored 28 in Sunday’s win against the Detroit Pistons, which is more in line with his 27.4 career average. Russell Westbrook hasn’t dialed back his offensive game since Durant returned, scoring at least 21 the last three games while averaging just under 18 shots in those outings. Brandon Knight has been scoring in bunches for the Bucks lately as well, averaging 20.2 points in four games this month with 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Oklahoma City
ABOUT THE BUCKS (11-11): Giannis Antetokounmpo turned 20 on Saturday and attempted to celebrate the following day by scoring 18 points but that wasn’t nearly enough in the 125-102 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Antetokounmpo, a 6-11 shooting guard, tends to create mismatches against most opponents and the Thunder won’t be any different as Durant, or possibly Serge Ibaka, may have to abandon one of Milwaukee’s forwards to guard Antetokounmpo. In the past, Thabo Sefolosha would have been the perfect matchup, but the 6-7 shooting guard left for the Atlanta Hawks in the offseason.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (7-13): Ibaka had two big performances against Milwaukee last season, posting 15 points, matching his career high with 20 rebounds and blocking four shots in the first game, and coming back with 17 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks in the second. The 20 and 17 rebounds represent two of the five highest rebound performances for the sixth-year power forward. Ibaka had just four games with double-digit rebounds this fall until matching his season-high with 13 against the Pistons.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Westbrook has 51 games with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists over the last five seasons, trailing Durant and LeBron James for the most in the NBA in that span.
2. Oklahoma City’s last two opponents came into Monday with a combined record of 5-36.
3. Bucks F Ersan Ilyasova did not travel with the team as he recovers from a nasal fracture suffered last Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.