All the Milwaukee Bucks want for Christmas this year is some sort of stability.
In all honesty, they probably have a list far longer than that, but heading into this week, that’s what this team needs most. The Bucks have lost all but three of their last 16 games, and haven’t strung together two wins since the tail end of October. One of those back-to-back wins did not feature Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined with injuries and, oh, also has those trade rumors, which he finally addressed this past week. While Giannis may not be talking to other teams, he conceded that his agent is “his own person” and could be doing so. Nevertheless, he remains committed to Milwaukee for the time being. In encouraging news, though, he did participate in practice on Saturday, and a return to the court may be earlier than what Doc Rivers and his staff initially anticipated.
The Bucks are also on their longest road trip of the season for the holidays, with five games away from Fiserv Forum. That started with a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, and will continue until New Year’s Eve, when they return home to face the Washington Wizards. This could end up being a pivotal point in the season for Milwaukee, who need to find a way to win in order to get back to (at the least) a play-in seed in an easier-than-usual Eastern Conference. Perhaps spending the holidays with one another will help bring this team together. Here’s what lies ahead.
Tuesday, December 23 at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. (FanDuel Sports Wisconsin)
The week for the Bucks will begin on Tuesday night in Indianapolis, where they’ll face a Pacers team that is still trying to recover from an awful losing streak to start the year. Indiana is of course without Tyrese Haliburton for the majority of the year, if not the whole season entirely. The last meeting between these two teams was incredibly close, before a Giannis Antetokounmpo buzzer beater sealed the deal for Milwaukee. That was also Myles Turner’s first game back in Indiana since being traded from the Pacers, so he’ll want to deliver an early Christmas present for his new team with a big game back in his old stomping grounds.
Friday, December 26 at Memphis, 7:00 p.m. (FanDuel Sports Wisconsin)
The holiday tour for the Bucks continues on Friday in Memphis, when they’ll meet the Grizzlies for the first of two games this season. The Grizzlies may very well be without Ja Morant, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury and is currently taking things day-to-day. Even without Morant, though, the Grizzlies have been playing well, winning seven of their last ten coming into the week. They’re still below .500 for the year, but much like the Pacers, are recovering from a losing skid earlier in the year.
Saturday, December 27 at Chicago, 7:00 p.m. (FanDuel Sports Wisconsin)
The week, and the road trip, wraps up in Chicago on Saturday night, with a trip to the United Center to face a division opponent in the Bulls. The end of November was rough for Chicago, with a seven-game losing streak at the tail end of the month. They’ve since recovered to win four of their last five, however, behind strong play from the backcourt combination of Coby White and Josh Giddey. That winning run also includes a 152-150 barnburner on Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks, in the highest scoring game of the NBA season so far. Expect the offense to be on full display on Saturday.