The Milwaukee Bucks advanced into the knockout round of the NBA Cup and will be looking to go for it all this season. Milwaukee had the advantage of hosting the game at the Fiserv Forum and will be taking on the Orlando Magic.
The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. ET. Milwaukee is considered the No. 1 seed for the Eastern Conference in the knockout rounds.
Milwaukee went 4-0 in the NBA Cup games while Orlando went 3-1. The two will meet for the right to advance to Las Vegas.
The winner of this game will advance to play either the New York Knicks or the Atlanta Hawks in the semi-finals on Dec. 14. New York went 4-0 during group play and the Hawks posted a 3-1 record over their four games.
Orlando will be missing a few of their key players due to injury, giving the Bucks a possible edge in the matchup.
The Magic have been without star forward Paolo Banchero since the fifth game of the season and they just lost another crucial member. Forward Franz Wagner just went down with an injury and will remain out for an indefinite period of time.
However, despite these major injuries, the Magic have prevailed and pushed through adversity. Milwaukee can't overlook them and will need to make sure that they are ready for a short-handed team.
Orlando is one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NBA, averaging 107.3 points per game. But their defense has carried them and could make life tough on the Bucks.
The Magic have the top-scoring defense in the NBA so Milwaukee will need to put a good plan of attack together. The Bucks will have their big three on the floor, possibly giving them more advantages in the contest.
The Bucks made it to the semi-finals last season but fell to the Indiana Pacers. They will be looking to redeem themselves this time around but will need to be efficient with their execution.
Milwaukee has had some defensive issues this season so locking that down will be crucial. But going up against an under-manner Magic team, Milwaukee should be able to come away with the victory to advance.
Prediction: Bucks 125, Magic 112
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