After an up-and-down start to the 2023-24 NBA campaign, the Bucks are suddenly on a roll to rightfully establish themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Should they win tomorrow against their Central Division rivals, the Pacers, who are on a winning streak of their own, their unbeaten run will extend to four consecutive games.
Elsewhere in the Southeast Division, the Hawks are going to take on the Magic for the first time this season, and whoever wins this contest will be two games above the .500 mark (5-3).
There may be only two games, but there won’t be any shortage of NBA 2023 highlights for basketball fans to enjoy.
Read more below as SBOTOP presents a preview for tomorrow’s lean schedule.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers
Damian Lillard is looking more like his usual self, which means good news for the Bucks and bad news for the rest of the league.
After recording just 15 points in their blowout loss to the Raptors last week, the former Blazers point guard has now recorded two 30-point outings in his last three games, including a 34-point night in their recent 120-118 win against the Pistons.
Lillard’s shooting percentage still leaves a lot to be desired (40-per cent), but he is making up for it by being effective from the charity stripe, shooting 33-for-35 during Milwaukee’s three-game winning streak.
It took them some time, but Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are meshing better on the floor after joining forces this summer. Like Lillard, Antetokounmpo has had his share of 30-point games so far this season, with his 36-point night against the Nets on Sunday being his season-high to date.
Unfortunately for the Greek Freak, he didn’t have the opportunity to drop 30 points again because he was inexplicably ejected midway through the third quarter after staring down Pistons center Isaiah Stewart following a dunk in transition.
In 22 minutes of action, Antetokounmpo still did okay with 15 points, nine points, five assists, and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Khris Middleton (knee) sat out against the Pistons, so he’s expected to play in Indiana tomorrow. This season, Middleton’s production has dropped off, at 9.8 points per game, but he is still a capable scorer on any given night.
As for the Pacers, they have won back-to-back games because everyone is contributing, with six double-digit scorers in both contests.
Aaron Nesmith paced Indiana with 24 points off the bench during their 134-118 win against the Jazz, while franchise point guard Tyrese Haliburton had 23 points in their 152-111 rout of the Spurs.
Haliburton has picked up where he left off last season, averaging 22.9 points, 11.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. His best individual performance thus far was when he dropped 43 points and 12 assists, including eight three-pointers made, in their 125-124 loss to the Hornets.
With the Bucks and Pacers currently in the Top 5 in terms of offencive rating, we might be in for a high-scoring shootout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Betting tip: Over 243.00 @ 1.93
Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic
The tiff between the Hawks and the Magic will take place in Mexico City, the league’s 32nd game in the said place.
Atlanta are going to be led by their backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, who are leading the team in scoring with averages of 22.6 and 21.7 points per game, respectively.
On top of their decent scoring norms, Young and Murray are also their top playmakers, averaging 10.4 and 6.1 assists per game.
The Hawks saw their four-game winning streak snapped by the Thunder, who shot better than the field on Tuesday (48-per cent, compared to the Hawks’ 37-per cent).
Inconsistent shooting has been a recurring theme for the Hawks, particularly for Trae Young, who hasn’t shot above 50-per cent from the field this season.
But the NBA 2023 odds are slightly in favour of the Hawks, and it also helps that they’ll have a fitter squad compared to their division rivals.
The Magic are dogged with injuries with Wendell Carter Jr. (hand), Markelle Fultz (knee), Gary Harris (groin), and Jonathan Isaac (hamstring) currently sidelined.
This means that Franz Wagner and reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero will have to shoulder the heavy load on offence, and they’re doing just that with team-leading averages of 18.7 and 18.1 points per game, respectively.
Moritz Wagner and Goga Bitadze, on the other hand, will deputise for the injured Carter Jr., while Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs will get more minutes if Fultz remains out.
Betting tip: Atlanta Hawks Asian Handicap -4.00 @ 2.02
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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