Bucks at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have experienced some recent struggles and look to record their third consecutive victory when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Golden State is just 4-4 since losing All-Star small forward Kevin Durant to a knee injury and sits 1 1/2 games in front of the San Antonio Spurs in the battle for the top overall seed in the Western Conference.
The Warriors displayed signs of breaking out of their funk with Thursday's 122-92 romp over the Orlando Magic but All-Star power forward Draymond Green would like to see more evidence. "To have a game like that always helps, not confidence-wise but just to kind of try and get back in a rhythm," Green told reporters. "I don't think this game really just puts us back in a rhythm, but it was a carryover from the last game's fourth quarter. It was just using that momentum and letting it carry over." Milwaukee won for the eighth time in the past nine games with a 107-103 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday to increase its record to .500 and it resides in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. "You have to play all 82 and the record will be what it is," Kidd told reporters after the victory. "We've been up and down and we're starting to go up at the right time. ... We're playing as well as anybody right now."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (34-34): The return of shooting guard Khris Middleton from a hamstring injury has been a big factor in Milwaukee's recent surge and he scored a season-best 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting in the victory over the Lakers. Middleton has scored in double digits in 10 straight games and he is averaging 18.4 points in March. "He was going and he was easy to play through," Kidd said of Middleton's huge outing against the Lakers. "We all trust Khris ... Khris, that is who we all expect, being able to deliver."
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (54-14): Shooting guard Klay Thompson has scored 25 or more points in each of the past four games and 21 of his 29 points against Orlando came in the opening quarter. It was the third time this season and seventh time in his career that Thompson had a 20-plus-point quarter and he is averaging 28 points during the four-game hot stretch. "It definitely helps when you make four or five in a row," Thompson told reporters. "You feel like every shot's going to go in."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors won six of the past seven meetings, including a 124-121 victory over the Bucks on Nov. 19.
2. Milwaukee SF Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting against the Lakers for his sixth 20-point outing in March.
3. Golden State SG Stephen Curry has topped 20 points in all eight games Durant has missed and is averaging 25.8 points during the stretch.