Charlotte Hornets look to win their first road game of the season against the Bucks
The NBA season is still very young, but the Charlotte Hornets are hoping to overcome injuries and gain some early momentum. They’ll have their hands full, however, as they travel to Milwaukee to face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
It’s hard to tell who and what most teams will be this early in the season. This holds especially true for teams dealing with key injuries. The Charlotte Hornets (1-1) are no different. There are constants for this team here and there, such as the stellar play of Kemba Walker. Yet, this team is still finding its identity without Nicolas Batum, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and now Cody Zeller. Those players are integral to what the Hornets hope to accomplish on both offense and defense. Thankfully, MKG and Cody shouldn’t be out much longer.
Still, the season presses on, so the Hornets must get ready to face a Milwaukee Bucks (2-1) team that will certainly test them. Well, more like one player on the Bucks will test them. Not to say the team is one-dimensional, but through the first three games of the season, it’s been the Giannis Antetokounmpo Show. The forward out of Greece has simply been dominating. Antetokounmpo is averaging just over 38 points per game on 67% shooting. Couple that with nearly ten rebounds per game and it’s safe to say he is going to give just about any team fits.
The Hornets are coming off their first win of the season against the Atlanta Hawks in Charlotte, 109-91. The Bucks are coming off a win as well, taking down the Portland Trail Blazers in Milwaukee, 113-110. Last season, the Hornets went 1-2 against Milwaukee in the regular season.
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Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks
8 p.m. EST, Monday, October 23rd, 2017
BMO Harris Bradley Center
Broadcast on FOX Sports Southeast
Injury Report:
CHA:
Nicolas Batum – Left Elbow
Michael Kidd Gilchrist – Personal
Michael Carter Williams – Knee
Cody Zeller – Knee
Julyan Stone – Hamstring
MIL:
Jabari Parker – Knee
Things to keep an eye on:
Guarding Antetokounmpo will be a challenge and with the injuries the Hornets have, it will be even more so. The really intriguing matchup will be Dwight Howard vs Giannis, that is if Steve Clifford decides to go that route. If he is forced to go that route, hopefully, Dwight can stay out of foul trouble.
Keys to the game:
As usual, getting Kemba going is a must, but any fan knows he will put the team on his back if need be. The real keys are how the rest of the team plays, especially on the defensive end. The Bucks will look to feed their workhorse, so anything the Hornets can do to disrupt him will be necessary. Whether that’s getting him in foul trouble or disrupting the Bucks’ offensive scheme and causing turnovers, keeping Antetokounmpo in check is imperative. Try and mitigate what he can do.
Next: Should Hornets fans have tempered expectations?
It’ll be tough, especially depth-wise, but this will be a good test of what this team is made of. Coming out of Milwaukee with a shorthanded road win would be a nice confidence booster, that’s for sure.