Bucks at Grizzlies
The Milwaukee Bucks sit a season-best 19 games above .500 and look to increase that number when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Milwaukee rolled to a 124-86 home triumph over Miami on Tuesday to notch its NBA-leading 22nd victory by double digits this season.
Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was needed for just 25 minutes in the one-sided contest against Miami but recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth triple-double of the season. "He's got such great court vision, he draws such a crowd and he gets us so many good looks," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters during his postgame press conference. "All year, he's done a great job balancing scoring and facilitating." Memphis has lost eight of its last nine games and 15 of 19 after committing a season-worst 24 turnovers in Monday's 112-94 setback at Houston. "You turn the ball over 24 times, those are just empty possessions," Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters after the contest. "And (when) you're playing a team that has this type of firepower, you can't waste possessions."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (31-12): Milwaukee outscored the Heat 63-40 over the middle two quarters to turn Tuesday's game into a runaway, and that allowed Budenholzer to get his starters plenty of rest with a late-night plane flight to Memphis looming. "We've had some games where we've taken care of business on the front end that have helped us in the back-to-back," Budenholzer said of the benefits of the large margin of victory. Eric Bledsoe scored a team-best 17 points against the Heat and also made two steals for his sixth straight contest with multiple thefts.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (19-24): Marc Gasol was limited to just 25 minutes and scored only five points against the Rockets as he struggled with lost feeling in his right hand after taking a shot to his elbow. "I lost feeling in my shooting hand and couldn't get it back," Gasol told reporters. "It was hard to play effectively without feeling. I tried playing more with my left hand and pass more with my left hand, but even just dribble the ball on the ground, I got no feel back from my hand." Gasol has failed to reach double digits in points in three of his last five games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Gasol scored 29 points as the Grizzlies posted a 116-113 road win over the Bucks on Nov. 14.
2. Milwaukee SG Malcolm Brogdon recorded 16 points against the Heat and has reached double digits in each of his last 13 appearances.
3. Memphis SG Garrett Temple made four 3-pointers against Houston, marking his fifth performance with four or more this season.