Bucks at Trail Blazers
The suddenly torrid Portland Trail Blazers look to stretch their
season-long winning streak to five games when they host the Milwaukee
Bucks on Tuesday. Portland has won eight of its last 10 games after
recording a 96-93 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
The Trail Blazers were nine games below .500 on Jan. 8 before a stunning victory over Oklahoma City began the upward surge. "Over the last couple of games, we've defended better," standout point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. "We've shared the ball better and we've played more complete games, so that's led to us being able to win four in a row." Milwaukee lost 111-104 to the Sacramento Kings on Monday in the opener of a three-game road trip to drop to 7-22 away from home. The Bucks defeated the Trail Blazers 90-88 on Dec. 7 when they rallied with six unanswered points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (20-30): Center Greg Monroe had 24 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Sacramento for his sixth straight game of 20 or more points. Monroe, who has 26 double-doubles, is averaging 22.2 points and shooting 58 percent from the field during his personal hot stretch but Milwaukee has lost five of the six games. Point guard Michael Carter-Williams had his best all-around game of the season with 18 points and a season-best 13 assists.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (23-26): Shooting guard C.J. McCollum ranks eighth in the NBA with 113 3-pointers and his streak of making at least one ended at 34 games in the win over Minnesota. McCollum wasn't concerned about the conclusion of his long-range streak as he still scored 21 points by making nine two-point shots on a variety of mid-range jumpers and drives. "I've worked on a lot of different things," McCollum told reporters. "Ball-handling and tightening things up and just continuing to have those moments where you utilize some things you worked on over the course of your life — the floaters, being able to manipulate a guy, make him go left and then move right and he's still left. Just continue to make plays."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Trail Blazers have won seven of their last nine home meetings with the Bucks.
2. Milwaukee SG Khris Middleton is just 14-of-49 shooting during the past three games.
3. Lillard has topped 30 points in four of the past 11 contests.