Bucks at Magic
The Milwaukee Bucks look to post their 15th win in the past 18 games when they visit the Orlando Magic on Saturday. Milwaukee's hot stretch has seen it move a season-best 20 games over .500 as well as seize the best record in the NBA.
The Bucks have won an NBA-best 23 games by double digits and led by as many as 31 during Wednesday's 111-101 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Milwaukee has won seven of its last nine road games and is a solid 12-8 away from home this season. Orlando is slipping in the other direction with 11 losses in its past 16 games and the Magic blew a 21-point lead before falling 117-115 to the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Orlando power forward Aaron Gordon scored 23 points before leaving with a lower back injury and coach Steve Clifford said his availability will be determined on Saturday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (32-12): Point guard Eric Bledsoe is averaging 18.8 points over the past four games and he had an electrifying stretch in the third quarter of the win over the Grizzlies. Bledsoe scored nine straight points during a 19-0 surge that turned a one-point deficit into an 18-point lead as the Bucks asserted control. "Eric Bledsoe was phenomenal. He really changed the game," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "We needed him. We needed someone to step up and have a game like that."
ABOUT THE MAGIC (19-25): Clifford insisted there was nothing different he could have tried to do to slow the Brooklyn charge and pointed out that the Nets just staged a similar comeback against the Houston Rockets. Brooklyn outscored the Magic 63-48 in the second half and the Orlando backcourt had no answers when it came to defending D'Angelo Russell, who made eight 3-pointers and scored 40 points. Magic center Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 17 rebounds but was just 7-of-20 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bucks posted a 113-91 home win on Oct. 27 for their sixth victory in the past eight meetings with the Magic.
2. Milwaukee F Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 11 rebounds against the Grizzlies for his 30th double-double of the season.
3. Orlando rookie C Mo Bamba (ankle) returned from a four-game absence and had nine points and four rebounds in 15 minutes against the Nets.