Magic at Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks look to turn their fortunes around after losing seven of the last nine games when they host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. The Bucks managed to score 100 for only the second time in 10 games, but allowed 43 points to Anthony Davis in a 114-103 loss to New Orleans on Monday. Milwaukee takes on an Orlando team that lost at Indiana 118-86 on Tuesday, but got leading scorer Nikola Vucevic back in the lineup after he missed two games with an ankle injury.
Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd still likes his team’s position despite its slide, standing five games ahead of ninth-place Miami in the Eastern Conference. “You are very fortunate if you can control your own destiny,” Kidd told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We’re in a seat that if you go out and compete and find a way to win, everything else takes care of itself.” The Magic have lost eight straight road games, but split a pair of games with the Bucks in Orlando earlier this season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (21-44): Vucevic scored 13 and grabbed five rebounds Tuesday while Victor Oladipo cooled off a bit by going 4-of-12 from the field en route to 13 points after averaging 30.7 over the previous three games. Tobias Harris poured in a team-high 22 points against Indiana and is averaging 20.7 over his last three outings. Point guard Elfrid Payton appeared to be hitting the rookie wall earlier this month after scoring 16 combined over four games, but has rebounded to average 14.3 the last three.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (33-30): Michael Carter-Williams scored 25 points — his high with Milwaukee in seven games since being acquired — against New Orleans as he becomes more comfortable in the offense. Khris Middleton is averaging 12.5, tops among players who have been with the squad all season, and has posted 99 points (19.8) over the last five contests. Giannis Antetokounmpo is close behind at 12.3 after scoring a career-high 29 on Monday when he rebounded from a 2-of-10 shooting performance.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bucks made 12-of-25 from 3-point range and seven players scored in double figures to beat Orlando 115-100 in their last meeting Jan. 29.
2. Orlando C Dewayne Dedmon is averaging 9.8 rebounds over his last five contests.
3. Milwaukee G O.J. Mayo, averaging 11.8 points, has missed six of the last seven games with a hamstring injury and is questionable for Wednesday.