Bucks at Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs won the three games they played last week by an average of 24.3 points and are starting to put some pressure on the Golden State Warriors atop the Western Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks, who visit the Spurs on Tuesday, aren't quite at that level yet but are capable of beating any team as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy enough to play.
San Antonio can win in several different ways and showed off its versatility on Saturday, when it struggled from the field but turned up the defense in the second half and cruised to a 102-85 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The Spurs are one of three teams to reach 30 wins and are staring at a stretch of five straight games, starting with the Bucks, that includes four home games and no opponents with a current winning record. Milwaukee was the proud owner of a winning record until back-to-back losses dropped it to .500 and is hoping Antetokounmpo is healthy enough to play Tuesday after sitting out due to illness on Sunday. The Bucks took an eight-point lead into the half without their star but fell off the pace in the third quarter and dropped a 107-101 home decision to the Washington Wizards.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (18-18): Milwaukee's third-quarter problems on Sunday were not a one-game issue, and coach Jason Kidd is trying to figure out the reasons. "It was bad coaching," Kidd said. "I messed the guys up; it was on me. The third quarter was something we talked about and I didn't do a good job. This is a consistent thing we've been doing for the last six or seven games. The first quarter, we've been down. The third quarter, we've been down. This falls on my shoulders. I've got to do a better job of coaching there in the third." One thing Kidd doesn't need to worry about is production from forward Jabari Parker, who averaged 26.5 points and six assists in the last two games.
ABOUT THE SPURS (30-7): The Spurs continue to find production in unexpected places and got a strong performance from rookie forward Davis Bertans in Saturday's win. The 6-10 Latvian picked up some extra playing time with David Lee (knee contusion) out and responded with a season-high 21 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, in 18 minutes. "It feels great to not miss, that's for sure," Bertans told mySanAntonio.com. "But it just felt great to be on the court, especially when we made that run."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Spurs PG Tony Parker went 1-of-8 from the floor on Saturday after going 10-of-11 in the previous contest.
2. Bucks PG Matthew Dellavedova (hamstring) returned from a five-game absence on Sunday and was held to two points on 1-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench.
3. San Antonio earned a 97-96 win at the Bucks on Dec. 5, outscoring Milwaukee 36-25 in the third quarter.