Pistons at Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks own the fewest losses in the NBA and are picking their way through a soft spot in the schedule with three straight wins over sub-.500 opponents. The Bucks will try to make it four in a row over teams with losing records when they host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
Milwaukee swept a home-and-home from the New York Knicks before moving to 16-3 at home with a 129-115 victory over the Brooklyn Nets behind Giannis Antetokounmpo's third triple-double of the season. "I'm really, really happy about this team and this team's effort," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "But at the end of the day, we can't be satisfied. We're the No. 1 team in the East, but we've got to keep pushing. We're the No. 1 and 14 teams are chasing us. That's the hardest thing, to stay No. 1." The Pistons looked like a team that might be capable of challenging the Bucks in the Central Division before dropping 11 of their last 14 games, capped by a 109-107, buzzer-beating setback at the Orlando Magic on Sunday. "Everybody looks at the last play," Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "It was way more possessions before that that we did some things that get you beat. ... Just do the simple things. But again, we have to learn."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE PISTONS (16-18): Detroit didn't end up with the win at Orlando but put in a much better effort than it did in the opener of the four-game trip at Indiana on Friday, when it was crushed 125-88. "I'm proud of our team -- the way they competed and fought," Casey told reporters after falling to the Magic. "Again, like I said, we take away some of the IQ situations we did down the stretch that hurt you, that get you beat. I love the effort. Even if we lost by whatever, five points, six points, I loved our approach, our disposition. I thought we played with some toughness, some grit." Star forward Blake Griffin was held to 15 points on Sunday - 10 below his season average - and is shooting 40.4 percent from the floor over the last four games.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (25-10): Antetokounmpo scored 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting and added 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the win over the Nets, which earned him M-V-P chants from the home crowd. "I try to block it out," Antetokounmpo told reporters of the chants. "I know it's loud; it's getting louder and louder. I try to block it out and focus on the game. But it was pretty loud. I want to thank the fans for supporting me and supporting our team." Antetokounmpo knocked down 2-of-3 from beyond the arc in the win as the Bucks set a franchise record with 14 3-pointers in the first half before finishing with 21.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons SG Luke Kennard is 12-of-19 from the floor over the last two games after going 3-of-20 in his previous four contests.
2. Bucks SF Khris Middleton averaged 27 points on 21-of-32 shooting over the last two games.
3. Milwaukee took the first two meetings this season, including a 115-92 home win on Dec. 5.