Thunder at Bucks
The Oklahoma City Thunder look to finish the regular season with their fifth consecutive win when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Oklahoma City will clinch the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with a victory as it sits one game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers.
The Thunder recorded a dramatic 112-111 home win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday as standout forward Paul George drained a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining to cap a rally from a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit. "That’s what this group has to be about," George said of the victory in a postgame interview with TNT. "That's what it is about - winning games late in the season when we really need them against good opponents." Milwaukee has nothing to play for and will rest MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo after securing the fifth 60-win season in franchise history with Sunday's 115-107 home win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks have the best record in the NBA and have clinched homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (48-33): Star point guard Russell Westbrook continued his recent stellar stretch with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against Houston for his sixth triple-double in nine games and 33rd of the season. "Nobody else can do it," George told TNT of Westbrook. "He's not getting enough credit for it. Watching him close up, he leaves everything on the floor. Reason why I came back here is I want to play with a guy like that." George also is in the midst of a hot streak as he tallied 27 points against Houston and has scored 25 or more in 12 of the past 14 games.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (60-21): Milwaukee has reached 60 wins for the first time since the 1980-81 campaign when Marques Johnson and upcoming Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Sidney Moncrief were the stars. "We have bigger goals ahead of us," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "But it's important for the group to enjoy it and celebrate it. Not a lot of people get to participate on a team that can win 60 in a season. It's down our list of priorities, but it's certainly something to be enjoyed." Antetokounmpo - who has 31 30-point outings - won't be the only player to sit out as center Brook Lopez will miss a game for the first time all season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. George scored 36 points as the Thunder posted an 118-112 home win over the Bucks on Jan. 27.
2. Milwaukee SF Khris Middleton has scored 20 or more points in a season-best four straight appearances.
3. Oklahoma City PF Jerami Grant has scored in double digits in seven straight games.