The red-hot Charlotte Hornets roll into Milwaukee on Tuesday night and face their stiffest test of the road trip, the 37-21 Bucks. The Hornets enter the game 15-42 for the season, 13th in the East, but they’ve won five of six. The Bucks sit 3rd in the East and have won back-to-back games, including a drubbing of the Timberwolves in Minnesota.
Both teams have struggled to meet expectations this season, but they’ve each been playing some of their best basketball of the season lately. The Bucks are focused on contending for a title and trying to ramp up for a playoff run with new coach Doc Rivers in tow.
The Hornets may not have such lofty aspirations (at least this season), but the dreams of a play-in appearance aren’t completely dead. And stacking some wins, building winning habits, and establishing a winning culture are still extremely important.
Despite playing well recently, both teams come into Tuesday night’s battle with lengthy injury reports featuring several key players.
Hornets injury report
At this point, it’s just become routine and assumed sadly, but LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Mark Williams (back) have been ruled ‘Out’ for yet another game. Ball has appeared close to a return ever since late January, and we see him warming up before games.
But he hasn’t played in over a month and we still have no concrete update from the team. Seth Curry (hip) has been upgraded to ‘Probable’ after being a late scratch in Portland against the Blazers, and Davis Bertans (knee) has been upgraded to ‘Questionable’ after missing the last two games.
Bucks injury report
The Bucks will be without Khris Middleton, as he’s been ‘Out’ with an ankle injury since early February. Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as ‘Probable’ with a knee issue, but the injury hasn’t caused him to miss any time and he’s expected to suit up.
The Bucks are currently listed as 14.5-point favorites at home in Fiserv Forum. The two teams will face off again on Thursday night back in Charlotte.