Bucks at Pistons
The Milwaukee Bucks have yet to drop back-to-back games this season and will try to keep that streak alive when they host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. The Bucks had a six-game winning streak come to an end at Oklahoma City on Sunday in the opener of a five-game road trip.
Milwaukee can still claim the best winning percentage in the NBA and is gearing up for a first-place showdown in the Eastern Conference with a trip to Toronto set for Thursday but needs to work out some things on the offensive end. The Bucks scored 42 points in the first half on Sunday and could not quite make up the difference with a stronger second half while dropping a 118-112 decision to the Thunder on Sunday. The Pistons have their own offensive problems to solve and are averaging 97 points while going 2-3 over the last five games, capped by a 106-101 loss at Dallas on Friday that left the team with a sour taste. "It doesn't feel good at all," Detroit coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "Again, we're not here to play close, you only get that in horseshoes and hand grenades. One thing, again, it's what, the 10th games we've lost by five points of less? Just making decisions down the stretch."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Detroit
ABOUT THE BUCKS (35-13): Milwaukee managed to make it a game after the poor first half on Sunday and was at least encouraged by the effort. "We've got to remember that we did battle back, we did fight back against a very good team that had momentum, that played well tonight," Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon told reporters after the setback. "We did not play well tonight and we were still in the game." Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is shooting 57.5 percent from the floor on the season but was 8-of-22 from the floor against the Thunder while finishing with 27 points and 18 rebounds.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (21-27): Detroit is trying to hang around in the postseason race in the East and is kicking off a four-game homestand with Milwaukee after dropping three of the last four contests. "All games are critical," Casey told reporters. "Each time we walk out should be critical. It should be a sense of urgency, a sense of desperation. The hunger, the intensity on all of us, myself down to our equipment manager, should feel a sense of urgency. If not, we're in the wrong business." Star forward Blake Griffin is playing with a sense of urgency and is averaging 33.5 points over the last six games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks C Brook Lopez is 11-of-17 from 3-point range over the last three games.
2. Pistons PG Ish Smith (groin) missed the last four games and is questionable for Tuesday.
3. Milwaukee took the first three meetings this season by an average of 16 points.