<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tom-Brady-beats-out-Shohei-Ohtani-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-for-all-sport-award.jpeg"></figure><h1>Tom Brady beats out Shohei Ohtani, Giannis Antetokounmpo for all-sport award</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-07T18:49:00-08:00">December 7th, 6:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-07T18:49:00-08:00">December 7th, 6:49pm</time><address><a>Jon Conahan</a>Penn State 22'</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Quarterback Tom Brady has been announced as Sports Illustrated 2021 <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1468397264129298434">Sportsperson</a> of the year. This is yet another accolade that Brady will add to his big trophy case.</p><p>He has been the main reason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-buccaneers-takeaways-from-week-13-victory-over-falcons/">success</a> as he has carried the team and looks to be the MVP favorite. What Brady is able to do at 44 years old is nothing short of impressive. He’s currently playing the best football of his career at almost 45 years old. On the season, he’s already thrown for 3,771 yards and has 34 touchdowns.</p><p>The Buccaneers look like a team that is going to possibly win another Super Bowl title. They have been about the only consistent team in all of the NFL as most other teams have shown struggles throughout the season. Tampa Bay is currently 9-3 on the season and has the second-best record in football behind the Arizona Cardinals.</p><p>Tom Brady was also able to win a Super Bowl title in 2021 which most certainly helped him win the award. Many others believe that Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks or Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels would have been two people who deserve the award. While both of those players were most certainly deserving of the award, there’s no denying that Tom Brady was also deserving of this award as he’s doing this at a much older age than both of those two superstars.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Tom Brady beats out Shohei Ohtani, Giannis Antetokounmpo for all-sport award

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Blazers-CJ-McCollum-Jrue-Holiday.jpg"></figure><h1>Rumor: The Jrue Holiday trade offer for Blazers guard CJ McCollum turned down in 2020, revealed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-07T11:31:01-08:00">December 7th, 11:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-07T11:31:57-08:00">December 7th, 11:31am</time><address><a>Tim Capurso</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers have been very involved in the news lately, first for the firing of general manager Neil Olshey, and then for trade rumors involving stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-rumors-2-portland-players-most-likely-to-be-traded-in-roster-shake-up/">among others</a>. A recent report in The Athletic reveals a trade offer from 2020, turned down by Olshey, involving Blazers guard CJ McCollum and then-Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">It sure felt like CJ McCollum was saying goodbye on Monday night. </p><p>“It’s not a goodbye. I’m still here,” he said. </p><p>His head? That’s trickier to pinpoint. A look at what’s going on between the ears of the Trail Blazers guard during these tumultuous times: <a href="https://t.co/jSLFLsy6Js" target="_blank">https://t.co/jSLFLsy6Js</a></p><p>— Jason Quick (@jwquick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jwquick/status/1468238680099803136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 7, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>That is a very interesting trade. Olshey was reportedly offered Holiday for McCollum and three first-round picks, a trade that was turned down in the summer of 2020.</p><p>McCollum, who has averaged over 20 points per game in each of the last seven seasons, has been one of the NBA’s better scorers as a member of the Blazers, though he has never approached the level of defense played by Holiday, who is routinely among the league leaders in steals per game and a three-time All-Defensive member.</p><p>While a bit one-sided, it’s fair to wonder whether the Blazers would be better suited with a playmaking, defensive stud like Holiday <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthleticNBA/status/1468256773958217731">alongside</a> Damian Lillard, rather than the offensive-minded McCollum.</p><p>Especially in contests against teams like the Golden State Warriors, the Blazers could have used an elite defender like Holiday, who helped the Milwaukee Bucks to a title last season, to guard Stephen Curry. Perhaps that could have pushed them forward for a title, though three first-round picks are an awful lot of draft capital to part ways with.</p><p>Olshey is no longer in Portland, and no one will ever know the true ramifications of this trade between CJ McCollum and Jrue Holiday had it gone down differently. However, it sure is fun to imagine.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rumor: The Jrue Holiday trade offer for Blazers guard CJ McCollum turned down in 2020, revealed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Bucks-Donte-DiVincenzo.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be pleased with latest update on key role player</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-06T11:09:13-08:00">December 6th, 11:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-06T11:10:04-08:00">December 6th, 11:10am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a freelance sports journalist and full-time editor for ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP, he's writing predictions across the European soccer and NBA world for bettors at Sports Betting Dime, one of the fastest-growing sports betting sites in North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks have dealt with their fair share of injuries early on in the 2021/22 NBA season, but they’re slowly getting back to full strength. Giannis Antetokounmpo will be pleased with this latest update, too.</p><p>Donte DiVincenzo, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-donte-divincenzo-done-playoffs-due-serious-foot-injury/">who has been out since the first round of the playoffs</a>, is finally returning to the court and is heading to the G-League to get some minutes. <a href="https://twitter.com/JimOwczarski/status/1467912553703563280">Via Jim Owczarski</a>:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Looks like Donte DiVincenzo is about to get back on the court – the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Bucks</a> just assigned him to the Wisconsin <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Herd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Herd</a>.</p><p>— Jim Owczarski (@JimOwczarski) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimOwczarski/status/1467912553703563280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>DiVincenzo tore a ligament in his ankle in the Bucks’ 4-0 sweep of the Miami Heat en route to an NBA title in 2021. He eventually underwent surgery in June. The sweet-shooting guard will get much-needed reps with the Wisconsin Herd, but they don’t play until December 12th. He’s expected to be back with Milwaukee at some point this month.</p><p>The Villanova product was a key player for the Bucks last season, averaging 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.1 dimes per game while starting 66 games. Mike Budenholzer’s squad have fared just fine without him, but his return to the rotation will undoubtedly give them a boost on both ends of the floor. DiVincenzo also shot 38% from downtown, a career-high.</p><p>The Bucks are still without Brook Lopez though, who just had back surgery. Nevertheless, they’re starting to find a rhythm, going 9-1 in their last 10 games and most recently winning eight consecutive contests. The roster is starting to look more complete and with Donte DiVincenzo in the mix again, it will give Antetokounmpo another important piece to knock down shots.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be pleased with latest update on key role player

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Giannis-Antetokounmpo_s-perfect-mindset-a-win-away-from-first-NBA-title.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavaliers-Bucks: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Monday, December 6th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-06T11:00:26-08:00">December 6th, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-06T11:00:26-08:00">December 6th, 11:00am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers (22-50) take on the Milwaukee Bucks (46-26) at Fiserv Forum.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 8:00PM EST/5:00PM PST on Monday, December 6th</p><p><b>TV:</b> BSWI</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>Cavaliers Active Roster:</b> Denzel Valentine, Lamar Stevens, RJ Nembhard Jr., Tacko Fall, Kevin Pangos, Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, Dylan Windler, Ed Davis, Ricky Rubio, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, Cedi Osman</p><p><b>Cavaliers Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Collin Sexton (Out For Season – Knee): Sexton underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee and is expected to miss the rest of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.</li><li>Dean Wade (Day To Day – Calf): Wade did not play in Sunday’s game (Dec. 5) against Utah.</li></ul><p><b>Bucks Active Roster:</b> Pat Connaughton, Javonte Smart, Khris Middleton, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, George Hill, Wesley Matthews, Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez, DeMarcus Cousins, Rodney Hood, Semi Ojeleye, Grayson Allen</p><p><b>Bucks Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Giannis Antetokounmpo (Day To Day – Calf): Antetokounmpo is questionable for Monday’s (Dec. 6) game against Cleveland.</li><li>George Hill (Day To Day – Knee): Hill is questionable for Monday’s (Dec. 6) game against Cleveland.</li><li>Donte DiVincenzo (Out – Foot): DiVincenzo is still without a timetable to return from a foot injury suffered last season, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.</li><li>Brook Lopez (Out – Back): The Bucks announced that Lopez had back surgery and is out indefinitely.</li><li>Semi Ojeleye (Out – Calf): Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Ojeleye is “going to miss some time.”</li><li>Grayson Allen (Day To Day – Illness): Allen is questionable for Monday’s (Dec. 6) game against Cleveland.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/CavsNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@CavsNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BucksNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@BucksNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CavsNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheBucksNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Milwaukee Bucks</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavaliers-Bucks: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Monday, December 6th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Cavaliers-Bucks-prediction-odds-pick-NBA-more.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Odds: Cavaliers vs. Bucks prediction, odds, pick and more – 12/6/2021</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-06T07:47:41-08:00">December 6th, 7:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-06T07:47:41-08:00">December 6th, 7:47am</time><address><a>Sammy Goldman</a>Sammy is studying Sport Management at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. As an avid LA sports fan he supports the Lakers and the Dodgers. He loves all things related to sports and specializes in betting and fantasy for NFL, NBA, and UFC.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA season continues on Monday. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/cleveland-cavaliers">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> will hit the road and face off against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/milwaukee-bucks">Milwaukee Bucks</a>. It’s time to continue our<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting"> NBA odds series</a> and make a Cavaliers-Bucks prediction and pick.</p><p>Both of these teams have had good starts to the season. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 13-11 and are coming off a very narrow loss. While the Milwaukee Bucks are 15-9 and coming off a dominant victory.</p><p>Here are the odds for the Cavaliers-Bucks Monday night NBA matchup,<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba"> courtesy of FanDuel</a>.</p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Bucks Odds</b></h2><p><b><i>*Watch NBA games LIVE with</i></b><a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408"> <b><i>fuboTV (click for free trial)</i></b></a><b><i>*</i></b></p><p>Cleveland Cavaliers: +6.5 (-110) </p><p>Milwaukee Bucks: -6.5 (-110)</p><p>Over: 215 (-110)</p><p>Under: 215 (-110)</p><h2><b>Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have been having a very good season. Expectations were not high, but this young roster has shown a lot of potential, and has managed to compete with some of the best teams in the league. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/boxscore/utah-jazz-cleveland-cavaliers-12-05-2021/7d12388d-78e4-4a46-b2a3-3cac33278a9a">The Cavs are coming off a 1 point loss to a very tough Utah Jazz team</a>. Now that Cleveland is mostly healthy, they are looking to string together some wins. A dub over Milwaukee would go a long way for this young Cavs team, and expect them to come into Monday’s game ready to play.</p><p>Leading the way for the Cavs has been Jarrett Allen. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/allenja01.html">Allen has been the man in Cleveland</a>. He is a walking double-double, and has had a tremendous impact on the Cavs. In their loss to Utah he dropped 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. This stat line is far from abnormal for Allen. On the season he is averaging nearly 17 points and over 11 rebounds a game. Allen’s presence on the court can’t be overstated, when he plays the whole team gets a lot better. It will be an interesting battle to watch play out between Allen and the Bucks, but he should be able to rise to the occasion.</p><p>Another player who has been great for Cleveland is Darius Garland. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/garlada01.html">Garland has really stepped up as an offensive threat and has helped this Cavs team win games.</a> Against the Jazz Garland had 31 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals! This was his second game in a row scoring over 30. He is averaging nearly 20 points a game for the season, but has been constantly improving. Garland is quickly emerging as a serious offensive threat in this league and he will likely have a huge impact on the outcome of this game. If Garland can stay hot, Cleveland could do more than just cover.</p><h2><b>Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the best teams in basketball. The reigning NBA champions had somewhat of a slow start to the season, but have quickly turned things around. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/boxscore/miami-heat-milwaukee-bucks-12-04-2021/a6cfc5eb-e3a4-4c52-bc59-9763dc93a068">In their last game they dismantled the Miami Heat, winning 124 – 102</a>. Milwaukee has won 9 of their last 10 games, and will look to continue asserting dominance in the east. However, injuries could play a big role in this game. The Bucks had some injuries early on in the season, and that problem seems to be resurfacing. They were still able to take care of business against Miami, so it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.</p><p><a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/middlkh01.html">One of the best players on this Bucks team is Khris Middleton</a>. Middleton is an all star and an elite scorer. In their win over Miami he had 22 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds. He is finally finding some sort of groove and gaining momentum. The Bucks guard was out for a few games earlier this season and has been struggling to get things going. It’s an encouraging sign to see Middleton knocking down shots, and if he can keep it up then the Bucks could definitely walk away with a win on Monday.</p><p>The leader of Milwaukee is Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak has obviously become one of the best players in the NBA, but he is questionable heading into Monday’s game. Giannis has been out for the Bucks last two games and is questionable for this one. In his absence the team has turned to other players. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/connapa01.html">One player who stepped up was Pat Connaughton</a>. In their win over the Heat Connaughton had 23 points in 29 minutes. He has shown that he can be one of the most reliable bench players, and someone that the team can turn to if they need a player to step up. Expect another big night from PC.</p><h2><b>Final Cavaliers-Bucks Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>This is not too difficult of a pick. The spread here is very wide and it doesn’t accurately represent the level of play from Cleveland. Add to that the fact that Milwaukee has three questionable players heading into Monday, and the choice becomes obvious. The Cavs are a good team, regardless of who plays for Milwaukee they should be able to cover. Pick Cleveland to cover. </p><p><b>FINAL CAVALIERS-BUCKS PICK: Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 (-110)</b></p><p><b>FINAL CAVALIERS-BUCKS SCORE PREDICTION: Cavaliers 111 – Bucks 109</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Odds: Cavaliers vs. Bucks prediction, odds, pick and more – 12/6/2021

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Bucks-news-Giannis-Antetokounmpo_s-_best-dunk_-revelation-won_t-sit-well-with-Jimmy-Butler.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ‘best dunk’ revelation won’t sit well with Jimmy Butler</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-04T15:10:14-08:00">December 4th, 3:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-04T15:11:47-08:00">December 4th, 3:11pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been around the league long enough to have witnessed some unforgettable moments. The former back-to-back MVP recently talked about one of his favorite dunks of all-time and unfortunately for him, Miami Heat talisman Jimmy Butler was on the wrong end of it.</p><p>Giannis relived what he revealed to be his favorite Khris Middleton dunk. This turned out to be Middleton’s poster on Butler some six years ago. The dunk was so memorable that it still lingers in Giannis’ memory to this very day (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1467178132797014019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1467178132797014019%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fheatnation.com%2Fvideos%2Fgiannis-antetokounmpo-boasts-that-khris-middletons-dunk-on-jimmy-butler-lives-rent-free-in-his-mind%2F">Milwaukee Bucks</a> on Twitter):</p><blockquote>“The best dunk Khris has ever made was on Jimmy Butler,” Giannis said.”Yeah, that’s crazy. Go Google it. It was like six years ago.”</blockquote><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Which Khris dunk lives rent-free in Giannis' mind? </p><p>Allow him to tell you: <a href="https://t.co/k3owtwO2E4" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/k3owtwO2E4</a></p><p>— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1467178132797014019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 4, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As you may have seen in the clip above, Middleton absolutely posterized Jimmy Butler in that particular play. Butler was still with the Chicago Bulls at that time, which now feels like a lifetime away. Nevertheless, Giannis still remembers it like it happened yesterday.</p><p>Incidentally, Giannis and the Bucks square off against Butler’s Heat on Saturday night. I hope Butler comes across this clip before they face off on the basketball as this would add some extra spice to what is already a highly-anticipated <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-p-j-tucker-gets-real-emotional-upon-return-to-milwaukee-to-face-bucks-after-2021-title/">matchup</a> between two of the top teams in the East.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ‘best dunk’ revelation won’t sit well with Jimmy Butler

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/3-players-the-bucks-must-pursue-at-nba-trade-deadline.jpeg"></figure><h1>3 players the Bucks must pursue at NBA Trade Deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-04T12:45:44-08:00">December 4th, 12:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-04T12:45:44-08:00">December 4th, 12:45pm</time><address><a>Jon Conahan</a>Penn State 22'</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The defending champions, Milwaukee Bucks, have had an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/4-reasons-why-wesley-matthews-was-a-good-signing-for-the-bucks/">interesting</a> start to the season due to some injuries. It is clear when their big three are on the court, they aren’t going to lose many games. They are 9-0 when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday all play. Milwaukee just had an eight-game win streak snapped but Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play.</p><p>Milwaukee is still having a decent start to the season as they are still tied for third place in the Eastern Conference. Many people are used to the Bucks being the best team in the regular season as they have been for pretty much the past three seasons. Last season, they did not finish in first place in the Eastern Conference, but the previous two years, they were the best team in the NBA during the regular season.</p><p>If they want to have another NBA championship run as they did a season ago, they might need to make a move or two at the trade deadline. Whether it be going out and getting another guy who can replace PJ Tucker, a center who could stretch the floor if Brook Lopez is not going to be up to his usual speed because of his back surgery, or even going out and getting another scorer who can run the second unit.</p><p>There are a few guys in mind who can drastically help this Bucks team. Let’s take a look at some guys who can come in and make an immediate impact to help Milwaukee win back-to-back titles.</p><h2>Three Guys The Bucks Should Target At The Trade Deadline</h2><p><b>Robert Covington</b></p><p>Robert Covington is the perfect guy for this Bucks team. He could essentially do everything that PJ Tucker did for this Bucks team a season ago, but possibly at a higher level. He’s an elite defender who would help the Bucks guard from 1-5 as he can switch on everything and even fill the role at the center position if ever needed.</p><p>He is 6 ft 8 and has the agility and quickness to be able to defend smaller guys but also contest players like Kevin Durant. On top of that, he can also shoot the three-point shot at a high rate. He has shot over 37% this season and last season.</p><p>It could be tough to get him away from Portland, but things simply aren’t going right for the Trailblazers and they need to make a move as soon as possible. They have a new general manager so it is possible that he looks to rebrand their future. Milwaukee would have to trade some guys like Semi Ojeleye, Jordan Nwora, possibly Donte DiVincenzo, or others, to make this trade work.</p><p><b>Eric Gordon</b></p><p>Eric Gordon would be an interesting one for this Bucks team. He can defend at a high level and can also play the 1-3 positions on the court. He has the ability to score and can lead a second unit if need be. He’s averaged 16.5 points throughout his career and averaged 17.8 points per game last season and 13.6 this season. He can also defend at a high level and that is something that the Bucks love. It is clear that you will not play for Coach Mike Budenholzer if you do not defend at a high level and that’s exactly what Eric Gordon brings.</p><p>With how bad Houston has been the past few seasons, they’re looking to get any type of draft pick or young player that they could possibly get. It could be time to move on from Nwora and go get somebody who can make an impact immediately. Nwora Is more of a project and somebody who could definitely end up helping the Bucks in a few years. Milwaukee is clearly in a win-now situation as they have arguably the best player in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo. There isn’t much time to have guys develop, and for Nwora’s future, it would be best if he was on a team where he can play every night.</p><p><b>Myles Turner</b></p><p>This could be an extremely tough move for the Bucks, but it might be one that best suits their future. Not only can he come in and be the starting center, but he could also be the center of the future. Brook Lopez is undoubtedly one of the most underrated centers in the NBA. The unfortunate part with Brook is that his playing days could be coming to an end sometime in the next few seasons. Coming back from a back injury is definitely not something that is going to be easy for somebody that tall and somebody of that age.</p><p>Myles Turner does essentially everything that Brook Lopez does, but he’s much younger. He can <a href="https://twitter.com/iPacersblog/status/876797296381480960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">defend</a> the rim at the highest of levels and he also shoots the 3-point shot at an elite level for a center.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Myles Turner has blocked 158 different players in his first two seasons. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MylesHighClub?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#MylesHighClub</a><a href="https://t.co/tCD6bjy4XC" target="_blank">https://t.co/tCD6bjy4XC</a></p><p>— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) <a href="https://twitter.com/iPacersblog/status/876797296381480960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 19, 2017</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It might be tough to get him from the Pacers, but they are another team whose plans just aren’t working out. They might look to make some moves at the trade deadline and send Turner somewhere.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 players the Bucks must pursue at NBA Trade Deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Giannis-Antetokounmpo_s-perfect-mindset-a-win-away-from-first-NBA-title.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat-Bucks: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Saturday, December 4th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-04T11:00:04-08:00">December 4th, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-04T11:00:04-08:00">December 4th, 11:00am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat (40-32) take on the Milwaukee Bucks (46-26) at Fiserv Forum.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 8:00PM EST/5:00PM PST on Saturday, December 4th</p><p><b>TV:</b> BSSUN</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>Heat Active Roster:</b> Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, Markieff Morris, Caleb Martin, Omer Yurtseven, KZ Okpala, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, Dewayne Dedmon, P.J. Tucker, Udonis Haslem, Max Strus</p><p><b>Heat Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Jimmy Butler (Day To Day – Tailbone): Butler did not play in Friday’s game (Dec. 3) against the Pacers.</li><li>Bam Adebayo (Out – Thumb): Adebayo is expected to miss about six weeks after he undergoes thumb surgery this weekend, according to Wes Goldberg of Locked on Heat.</li><li>Markieff Morris (Out – Neck): Morris is not expected to be available until at least the team returns from its road trip on Nov. 29, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.</li><li>Victor Oladipo (Out – Right Knee): Oladipo has yet to be cleared for full-court work, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic.</li></ul><p><b>Bucks Active Roster:</b> Pat Connaughton, Javonte Smart, Khris Middleton, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, George Hill, Wesley Matthews, Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez, DeMarcus Cousins, Rodney Hood, Semi Ojeleye, Grayson Allen</p><p><b>Bucks Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Giannis Antetokounmpo (Day To Day – Calf): Antetokounmpo is listed as DOUBTFUL for Saturday’s (Dec. 4) game.</li><li>George Hill (Day To Day – Knee): Hill is listed as PROBABLE for Saturday’s (Dec. 4) game.</li><li>Donte DiVincenzo (Out – Foot): DiVincenzo is still without a timetable to return from a foot injury suffered last season, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.</li><li>Brook Lopez (Out – Back): The Bucks announced that Lopez had back surgery and is out indefinitely.</li><li>DeMarcus Cousins (Day To Day – Conditioning): Cousins is listed as PROBABLE for Saturday’s (Dec. 4) game.</li><li>Semi Ojeleye (Out – Calf): Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Ojeleye is “going to miss some time.”</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/HeatNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@HeatNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BucksNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@BucksNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheMiamiHeatNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Miami Heat</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheBucksNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Milwaukee Bucks</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat-Bucks: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Saturday, December 4th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Bucks-news-Milwaukee-being-_aggressively-cautious_-with-Wesley-Matthews.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>4 reasons why Wesley Matthews was a good signing for the Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-04T09:26:16-08:00">December 4th, 9:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-04T09:31:22-08:00">December 4th, 9:31am</time><address><a>Jon Conahan</a>Penn State 22'</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1466890417752915968">signed</a> veteran Wesley Matthews on Friday to rejoin the team after playing with them in the 2019-20 season. Last season, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers but hasn’t been on a team to start the season.</p><p>The Bucks have had some unfortunate injuries early on, including Brook Lopez, who just had back surgery. Milwaukee decided to bring in DeMarcus Cousins to help fill that role while Brook recovers from his surgery. Any of the added depth that can help this Bucks team is much needed, they saw a season ago if they want to win an NBA title like they did last year, they need to be healthy.</p><p>When Matthews was in Milwaukee, he found a good amount of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-milwaukee-signs-veteran-sharpshooter-wesley-matthews/">success</a>. He shot the three-pointer at over a 36% rate, and also played high-level defense. If he can continue to do what he did for the Bucks as he did back in the 2019-20 season, he will be a serviceable ninth or tenth man off the bench for this team.</p><p>Let’s take a look at four reasons why the Bucks made a good decision on re-signing Wesley Matthews.</p><h2>Why It Was Smart That The Bucks Added Wesley Matthews</h2><p><b>4. He adds depth to the bench unit</b></p><p>If the Milwaukee Bucks want to win another NBA title this season, they need their three stars healthy. Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday have all missed time for injury purposes or COVID-19.</p><p>Wesley Matthews isn’t somebody who’s going to be a starter like he was two seasons ago for this team, but if he can continue being serviceable like he has throughout his entire career, he can eat up bench minutes and allow some nights off for other guys. Milwaukee will already have arguably the deepest bench in the NBA when everybody is healthy. The bench unit of George Hill, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, possibly Donte DiVincenzo when he returns from injury if they decide not to start him, and either Semi Ojeleye or Matthews, would be an incredible bench to roll out for five to 10 minutes a night in the playoffs.</p><p>This was a great move because they can have another serviceable bench piece that can eat up minutes and still be positive when on the floor against other bench units. There is a chance that he doesn’t even get playoff minutes, but if he does, he adds some depth and will help this team out.</p><p><b>3. If he doesn’t pan out, they lost a second-round pick</b></p><p>The Bucks decided to waive their former second-round pick of this past year’s NBA draft, Georgios Kalaitzakis. There was likely no chance that he was going to ever be somebody who the Bucks were going to give serviceable minutes. If this move does not pan out the way that they like it with Wes, it doesn’t hurt this team too much, if any at all.</p><p><b>2. Maybe he can be the PJ Tucker of this year’s team?</b></p><p>Wesley is a bit older in his career and last season with the Lakers, he didn’t look great. In Milwaukee, he did play some of the best basketball of his career and that could be contributed to playing alongside a guy like Giannis who makes his teammates better than arguably anybody in the league. This could be a good sign for the Bucks because if he can continue playing at the level that he did in Milwaukee, he will be a more than serviceable defender who can get stops against some of the best players in the NBA.</p><p>It is inevitable that the Bucks are going to have to take on the Brooklyn Nets and arguably the greatest scorer of all-time in Kevin Durant. PJ Tucker was the man who made it tough on KD a season ago, and Milwaukee needs somebody who could do the same thing.</p><p>They will probably throw Khris, Giannis, and Jrue at Durant but it’s not an easy task, and it takes a lot of effort to contain him. There have to be guys who can be thrown at him for five to seven minutes a night and that’s exactly what Wesley Matthews could possibly do for this team.</p><p><b>1. He can still shoot at a decent to above-average rate</b></p><p>If he can continue shooting at a 36% rate or higher, this is a perfect pick-up for the Bucks. Milwaukee loves to shoot the 3-point shot and when you play next to Giannis, you’re always going to get more open looks than with any other guy in the NBA. Perhaps he could even get some big minutes come playoff time if he does shoot the three-point shot at that high of a rate.</p><p>This isn’t exactly a huge move for the Bucks, but it’s bigger than just the signing. If he could be somebody who could play 15-plus minutes a night in the regular season and help keep the workload off of their three big stars, then this move is 100% what needed to happen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

4 reasons why Wesley Matthews was a good signing for the Bucks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Milwaukee-signs-veteran-sharpshooter-Wesley-Matthews.jpeg"></figure><h1>Bucks sign veteran sharpshooter Wesley Matthews</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-03T14:21:29-08:00">December 3rd, 2:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-03T14:23:13-08:00">December 3rd, 2:23pm</time><address><a>Karl Rasmussen</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/milwaukee-bucks/news">Milwaukee Bucks</a> were looking to add some outside scoring to the rotation and managed to do just that on Friday. <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1466890417752915968">Per Shams Charania</a>, the Bucks agreed to terms on a deal with veteran sharpshooter Wesley Matthews, who was a free agent after spending last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Free agent Wesley Matthews plans to sign a deal with the Bucks, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>. The 12-year veteran, who spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, is set to return to Milwaukee.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1466890417752915968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The addition of Matthews is seemingly in response to the organization waiving forward Georgios Kalaitzakis, which occurred earlier on Friday. Kalaitzakis featured in nine games for the Bucks, averaging 1.8 points and 0.9 rebounds across 5.3 minutes of run per night.</p><p>The Bucks already rank third in the NBA with 14.3 threes per game, and adding Matthews to the arsenal of sharpshooters featuring Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez, among others, will only stand to improve that tally.</p><p>Matthews, a 12-year veteran, has knocked down 1,729 threes in his career, converting at a 37.9% clip from deep. Last season in LA, Matthews averaged 4.8 points per game, including 1.1 threes, while serving as a role player for the Lakers.</p><p>This will be Matthews’ second stint with Milwaukee. The 35-year-old San Antonio native spent the 2019-20 season with the Bucks, playing a sizable role in the rotation. Across 67 games, Matthews averaged 7.4 points and 1.6 threes over 24.4 minutes per night. He likely won’t be called upon for as many minutes as he was a couple of years ago, but he’s familiar with the team and could provide value off the bench, particularly with his ability to knock down shots from beyond the arch.</p><p>Matthews went undrafted out of Marquette before latching on with the Utah Jazz in 2009. He then joined the Portland Trail Blazers from 2010-15, before signing on with the Dallas Mavericks. He had brief stints with the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers before joining the Bucks in 2019.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks sign veteran sharpshooter Wesley Matthews

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bucks-Giannis-Antetokounmpo.jpeg"></figure><h1>Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves more respect after largely ignored monster night, game-winner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-03T08:53:05-08:00">December 3rd, 8:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-03T08:53:47-08:00">December 3rd, 8:53am</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In case you missed it, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had himself a monster evening in their thrilling 127-125 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Well, you might have probably missed it since The Greek Freak did not get the national spotlight he deserved after putting up a dominant performance against the Hornets.</p><p>Well, in case you <i>did</i> <i>actually</i> miss it, Antetokounmpo put up a near triple-double with 40 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. On top of that, he also made the game-winning layup to give the Bucks their eighth straight victory.</p><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@_smartbbtakes_/video/7037230863461174574?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8urIlLe%2FUPJMQLt07poqaogRafZlpV%2BOq05Il%2FhXv5DV7815VbzBKxMCwl0YlqnCUchC0p4CH9wm%2B4UnAGgA%3D&amp;checksum=de2f2806451bee13bd8f8b9aea517ffe55ed5b137efee32fc0ced810d504897b&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAgXW6C7JbbRggBMIp6bXQsYby-MKGgsEcRVKOT7A9ql3ogGD8mh2lpyRyeu-r3Mhd&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=7037230863461174574&amp;share_link_id=0A2609FC-3E1B-44EB-8E27-8919739D06F3&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1638512710&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d6jcl323a1i4c0&amp;user_id=6702599021758596102&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1&amp;lang=en&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1">Smart Takes on TikTok</a> gave a very interesting food for thought on the lack of media coverage for Antetokounmpo’s big night. He noted how if someone like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Stephen Curry did what Giannis did on Wednesday, that would be all over social media and be the top story across all sports media platforms.</p><p>Instead, his performance went largely unnoticed and it’s definitely worth wondering why. Just by the looks of it, Antetokounmpo’s big game had all the ingredients to headline Wednesday night’s sports news. Milwaukee and Charlotte played arguably the game of the season. The two franchise stars Antetokounmpo and LaMelo Ball went at it throughout the night, especially down the stretch with Ball draining a heart-stopping 3-pointer to tie the game and Giannis Antetokounmpo answering back with the game-winner on the other end. And let’s not forget, Miles Bridges almost won the game for the Hornets had his half-court heave that just went in and out gone down.</p><p>Nonetheless, Antetokounmpo’s performance deserved way more love than it actually did. I took a peep at SportsCenter’s timeline on Twitter and saw that they posted Ball’s game-tying triple.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LAMELO CLUTCH 3 TIES IT 😮 <a href="https://t.co/TLbrgH97JN" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/TLbrgH97JN</a></p><p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1466250212620451847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p><a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1466250212620451847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1466250212620451847%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1574106action%3Dedit" rel="noopener">Their next Tweet</a> on the Bucks-Hornets game was this:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo and Giannis put up NUMBERS.</p><p>Ball had a career-high 36 points 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/yWOauLOcmR" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/yWOauLOcmR</a></p><p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1466254419041865731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The only thing they really said about Antetokounmpo’s huge night was that he “put up NUMBERS.” The 2-time MVP had by far the better stat line. He won Milwaukee the game. And yet, they gave the brighter spotlight to Ball with his career night. Well, this isn’t to knock on the Hornets rising star. But they could have at least given Giannis Antetokounmpo his flowers.</p><p>So what’s the deal?</p><p>It’s not as if Wednesday night had another marquee game on the schedule. In fact, that game could easily go down as an instant classic.</p><p>It’s just kind of frustrating because Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the NBA right now. He proved by leading the Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship and by doing so in the fashion he did that he belongs in that LeBron, Steph, and KD tier of superstars.</p><p>The man is also such a jolly person with a likable and infectious personality that, in many ways, the average NBA fan could relate to. Furthermore, the 5-time All-Star also had humble beginnings and worked incredibly hard to get to where he is today. Basketball has also grown to be a global sport and an international superstar like Antetokounmpo is certainly capable of carrying the mantle as the face of the league.</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves maximum love. It’s high time we acknowledge him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves more respect after largely ignored monster night, game-winner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heat-P.J.-Tucker-Bucks.jpg"></figure><h1>Heat forward P.J. Tucker gets real emotional upon return to Milwaukee to face Bucks after 2021 title</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-03T07:42:35-08:00">December 3rd, 7:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-03T07:42:35-08:00">December 3rd, 7:42am</time><address><a>Tim Capurso</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat have a back-to-back on their road trip, as they’re slated to face the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Heat forward, P.J. Tucker, who won a title as a member of the Bucks last season, got very emotional when speaking about what Milwaukee means to him ahead of his return to the Fiserv Forum.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">P.J. Tucker speaks from the heart on his return to Fiserv Forum: 'I'll love the people of Milwaukee forever.' <a href="https://t.co/wmASduZkq5" target="_blank">https://t.co/wmASduZkq5</a></p><p>— Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) <a href="https://twitter.com/journalsentinel/status/1466775497979973636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>That’s great stuff from Heat forward P.J. Tucker on the Bucks and Milwaukee. If the people of Milwaukee didn’t love Tucker already, they sure do now.</p><p>It’s really cool that Tucker, who signed with the Heat on a two-year deal this offseason, still has love for the Bucks, even though the two teams could clash down the road.</p><p>It’s not hard to understand the love affair between Milwaukee and Tucker. As the Journal Sentinel points out, there were many moments on and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MkeBucks/comments/mvms01/pj_tucker_is_driving_around_milwaukee_with_a_ski/">off the court</a>, such as Tucker celebrating the championship in Milwaukee bars with fans to Tucker playing hard-nosed defense <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-pj-tucker-reveals-harsh-reality-of-trying-to-defend-kevin-durant/">against Kevin Durant</a> of the Brooklyn Nets, that sealed his fate as a Bucks’ fan favorite.</p><p>And that is a great feeling for a player such as Tucker, who has bounced around with several NBA teams in his career. He really seemed to find himself in Milwaukee, something that should only help him in his Heat career.</p><p>Tucker, clearly not wanting to think about it, was unsure when asked what to expect from Bucks fans on Saturday. However, P.J. Tucker knows deep down that he will feel the love from Milwaukee fans even while donning a Heat jersey.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat forward P.J. Tucker gets real emotional upon return to Milwaukee to face Bucks after 2021 title

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo_s-injury-status-revealed.jpeg"></figure><h1>Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury status, revealed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-02T21:57:30-08:00">December 2nd, 9:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-02T21:57:30-08:00">December 2nd, 9:57pm</time><address><a>Kendall Capps</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Thursday’s game against the Toronto Raptors. It came as a surprise, as he was not listed on the injury report prior to game time. Only minutes before the game, people noticed his name was not listed in the starting lineup on the arena monitor. After the game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer provided some clarity on Giannis.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Bucks</a> head coach Mike Budenholzer said Giannis Antetokounmpo felt the right calf and the next day or two are important to see how it feels. <br>“Hopefully it’s something very short term.”</p><p>— Jim Owczarski (@JimOwczarski) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimOwczarski/status/1466607957576228875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Apparently Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury some time recently. The fact that Budenholzer said “hopefully it’s something very short term,” is not ideal.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-hilarious-reaction-to-game-winning-layup-vs-hornets/" rel="noopener">The Bucks are a different team without the reigning league and NBA Finals MVP.</a></p><p>On Thursday, the Bucks saw their eight game winning streak come to an end. Without Giannis in the lineup, Bucks forward Pat Connaughton entered the starting lineup. Connaughton had been a happy surprise this season but struggled Thursday, finishing with only seven points in 31 minutes of action.</p><p>Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday stepped up in Giannis’ absence. He scored 26 points on 10-19 shooting. He added eight assists and six rebounds to go with it. But it was not enough as the Bucks bench did not come to play. Only two players from the Bucks bench scored Thursday with Connaughton forced to start.</p><p>The fact that Thursday was the 2nd night of a back to back might have played into the decision to sit the superstar forward. The Bucks have Friday off before opening a two game homestand against the the Miami Heat on Saturday and Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.</p><p>From Budenholzer’s comments, it sounds possible the Greek Freak might be out another game or two at least.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury status, revealed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Raptors-Bucks-Nick-Nurse-Scottie-Barnes-Khris-Middleton.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors coach Nick Nurse sounds off on Scottie Barnes wanting to guard Khris Middleton</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-02T21:05:06-08:00">December 2nd, 9:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-02T21:05:06-08:00">December 2nd, 9:05pm</time><address><a>Joshua Howe</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With only 30 minutes or so before the Toronto Raptors tipped off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, the team was informed that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo would not be suiting up.</p><p>But Raptors coach Nick Nurse said that didn’t affect them too much.</p><p>“I guess I was pretty neutral on it, to be honest,” Nurse said after <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401360153">their 97-93 win</a>. “For us it’s like, we gotta go play whoever’s out there. There’s a whole array of defensive stuff you have to go through. We gotta talk about who we think they’re gonna start and how all our coverages change and all that kinda stuff. You don’t really have time to be insulted or be joyous, you gotta get to work and try to start figuring it out.”</p><p>As the Raptors discussed what adjustments they should make to their strategy, one voice broke in to make a declaration about the defensive scheme. </p><p>“Scottie (Barnes) kind of stepped up and said, ‘I’m gonna guard (Khris Middleton), I’m gonna guard him hard. So let’s start with that,’” Nurse said. “So we did and I thought he did a good job on him. Made him work.”</p><p>And so Barnes did, spending a significant number of minutes on the two-time All-Star. He was up in Middleton’s grill whenever he could be, playing him physically and forcing him into a considerable amount of tough shots. Despite Middleton scoring 22 points, he finished with a poor 49.5 true shooting percentage and never really looked comfortable.</p><p>This isn’t the first time Barnes has taken on a difficult assignment. He’s locked horns with the likes of Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum, and although there’s certainly a learning curve for Barnes to become a truly elite defender (something he was purported to be coming out of college) in the NBA, he’s showing flashes of what he can become on a nightly basis.</p><p>“He’s (voiced the desire to take on assignments) some this year. It’s good to see again,” Nurse said. “He’s done that some when we’ve gone into games. It’s really a talent of his, that’s the mindset we need him to stay in because I think there probably is a guy for him to guard at the guard or forward that is gonna be a high points producer and a high usage guy every night and that’s the way for him to go into the game. It’s something he can do to help us and himself every night.”</p><p>Plus sometimes, in games like the one against the Bucks, Barnes manages to put together a nearly spotless performance. He finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block.</p><p>“Very few schematic mistakes tonight,” Nurse said of the entire defense. “There was a couple of pretty big ones, but way down in numbers on that and a number of guys defending pretty hard.”</p><p>On top of all that, Barnes didn’t let his offense fall off a cliff, either. He stayed locked in on that end of the floor, draining some difficult looks of his own in the post, making a concerted effort to take advantage of the space defenses give him at the arc (3-of-6 from deep), and even knocking down a one-footed fallaway ala Dirk Nowitzki. </p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/scottie-barnes/9ea80896/stats">confidence Barnes continues to display</a> as a rookie and the sheer level of talent he has to capitalize on that confidence on both sides of the ball is immeasurable. He’s already developing into one of the league’s most formidable young forces.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors coach Nick Nurse sounds off on Scottie Barnes wanting to guard Khris Middleton

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Bucks-Brook-Lopez-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Mike-Budenholzer.jpg"></figure><h1>3 reasons Bucks need to be worried with Brook Lopez’s injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-02T18:25:20-08:00">December 2nd, 6:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-02T18:25:20-08:00">December 2nd, 6:25pm</time><address><a>Diego Vergel de Dios</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After the Milwaukee Bucks opening day victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Brook Lopez has yet to suit up again due to a lingering back issue. Lopez <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/bucks-center-brook-lopez-undergoes-back-surgery-out-indefinitely">underwent surgery</a> on Thursday as the condition of his back has not improved over the last month. There is no timetable for his return and that would be tough for the Bucks because he is their defensive anchor and a terrific three-point shooter.</p><p>As the Bucks are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak, the absence of Lopez is not being felt yet as they recently signed center DeMarcus Cousins to bolster their frontcourt depth. Along with that, Bobby Portis is having a career year as the starting big man. Milwaukee may still rack up over 50 wins in the regular season without Lopez, but his presence and skill set would be a massive help for their postseason run.</p><p>But with the uncertainty surrounding his injury, the Bucks must be worried about three facets they’re missing without Brook Lopez.</p><h2>Rim protection and shot-blocking</h2><p>Even with former Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, Lopez remains as the individual that mans the paint and defends the best big man of the opposing team. Excluding the <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lopezbr01.html">2011-12 season</a>, Lopez has tallied over one block per game in every year of his career. Even if he does not swat layups and floaters, his ability to stifle the rhythm of the slashers is more than enough as an anchor for the Bucks.</p><p>With Lopez protecting the shaded lane, his teammates could afford to risk intercepting passes or poking the ball loose because he will help them provide ample defense inside the paint. Even if he does not flourish in every playoff matchup, having Lopez is a brilliant luxury for coach Mike Budenholzer.</p><h2>Five-out offense</h2><p>Over their championship run last season, Giannis was able to dominate every series because of the immense space and shooting prowess of his teammates. Even as a post presence and defensive anchor, Lopez converted one shot per game from beyond the arc in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.</p><p>Despite his abysmal 31 percent shooting from long distance in the postseason, he remained as a serious threat because defenders knew he could covert a three-pointer at any juncture of the game. In the early part of his career, Lopez was a no-show with his shooting, but his game gradually evolved to fit the modern style of play. Even with his prolonged absence, Portis and Cousins will provide a boost to the spacing of the Bucks as well.</p><h2>Pouncing on mismatches in the post</h2><p>Even if Lopez’s usage rate has dropped from his Nets days, he is still an effective option on the block because of his finesse moves and patience in the post. Defenses tend to switch a ton over the past few years because of the coaches’ schemes and speed of the guards in today’s era. However, the glaring disadvantage is when guards are switched onto seven-footers such as Lopez.</p><p>Not all big men utilize their heft and size as an enormous edge over small defenders, but Lopez is a guy who would constantly seal his man and convert numerous hook shots and short stabs. Through the feeds of Jrue Holliday or Khris Middleton, defenses are forced to adjust and change their approach on the continuous switching on Lopez.</p><p>With Bucks expected to miss Lopez for the majority of the regular season, they hope to have him back for another deep run in the NBA Playoffs. Back injuries could be tricky and atrocious because it takes longer to heal. The hope is for Lopez to have at least several games before the postseason to get his conditioning and fitness going again for Budenholzer to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/brooklyn-nets/records">maximize the roster</a> in defending their title.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 reasons Bucks need to be worried with Brook Lopez’s injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bucks-news-brook-lopez-undergoes-back-surgery.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Brook Lopez undergoes back surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-02T11:58:53-08:00">December 2nd, 11:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-02T14:10:47-08:00">December 2nd, 2:10pm</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt has been an editor at ClutchPoints since 2018. He also covers the Bulls for Forbes and SB Nation's Blog a Bull. In addition, he co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network. If you couldn't tell, he's from Chicago.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez hasn’t played since the first game of the 2021-22 season, and he won’t be playing anytime soon. That’s because Lopez just underwent back surgery.</p><p>The Bucks <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1466482006397706243" rel="noopener">announced</a> that Lopez went under the knife on Thursday in Los Angeles. The big man “will continue to be listed as out and updates on his rehabilitation progress will be provided as appropriate.”</p><p>While Milwaukee is currently on a roll as winners of eight games in a row now that the star trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday is healthy, it’s still a bummer that Lopez is dealing with this issue and will miss a lot more time. Lopez has been a key contributor as a rim protector and floor spacer for the Bucks in recent seasons.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener noreferrer">fuboTV (click for free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><p>With Lopez out, Milwaukee has been starting Bobby Portis at center. Portis is having a stellar season, averaging 15.1 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 48.3% from the field and 42.7% from 3-point range in 27.8 minutes per game. DeMarcus Cousins was also just signed for depth at the position.</p><p>After a sluggish start to the season, the Bucks are hitting their stride and are tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Even without Lopez for the foreseeable future, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Milwaukee is on top of the conference very soon. Giannis is playing at an MVP level once again and is now getting the help he needs from his teammates.</p><p>Even so, the Bucks are hoping Lopez will be back at some point this season as they try to defend their title.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Brook Lopez undergoes back surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OG-Anunoby-Raptors-Mavericks-.jpeg"></figure><h1>Bucks-Raptors: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Thursday, December 2nd)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-02T11:00:04-08:00">December 2nd, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-02T11:00:04-08:00">December 2nd, 11:00am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks (46-26) take on the Toronto Raptors (27-45) at Scotiabank Arena.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on Thursday, December 2nd</p><p><b>TV:</b> TSN</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>Bucks Active Roster:</b> Pat Connaughton, Javonte Smart, Khris Middleton, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, George Hill, Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez, DeMarcus Cousins, Rodney Hood, Semi Ojeleye, Grayson Allen</p><p><b>Bucks Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>George Hill (Day To Day – Knee): Hill is probable for Thursday’s (Dec. 2) game against Toronto.</li><li>Donte DiVincenzo (Out – Foot): DiVincenzo is still without a timetable to return from a foot injury suffered last season, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.</li><li>Brook Lopez (Out – Back): Lopez has not played since the Bucks’ first game of the season and no timetable has been announced for his return.</li><li>DeMarcus Cousins (Out – Conditioning): Cousins is out for Thursday’s (Dec. 2) game against Toronto.</li><li>Semi Ojeleye (Out – Calf): Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Ojeleye is “going to miss some time.”</li></ul><p><b>Raptors Active Roster:</b> Khem Birch, Scottie Barnes, Malachi Flynn, Precious Achiuwa, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Dalano Banton, Justin Champagnie, Svi Mykhailiuk, OG Anunoby, Yuta Watanabe, Chris Boucher, Goran Dragic</p><p><b>Raptors Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Khem Birch (Out – Knee): Birch is out for Thursday’s (Dec. 2) game against Milwaukee.</li><li>Gary Trent Jr. (Day To Day – Calf): Trent Jr. is questionable for Thursday’s (Dec. 2) game against Milwaukee.</li><li>OG Anunoby (Out – Hip): Raptors coach Nick Nurse said there’s no timetable for Anunoby’s return.</li><li>Goran Dragic (Out – Personal): The Raptors announced that Dragic is dealing with a personal matter and there is no timetable for his return.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/BucksNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@BucksNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RaptorsNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@RaptorsNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheBucksNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Milwaukee Bucks</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RaptorsNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toronto Raptors</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks-Raptors: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Thursday, December 2nd)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Bucks-Raptors-prediction-odds-pick-NBA-odds.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks vs. Raptors prediction, odds, pick and more – 12/2/21</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-02T08:47:25-08:00">December 2nd, 8:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-02T08:47:25-08:00">December 2nd, 8:47am</time><address><a>Zach Hood</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors will matchup on Thursday night as the Bucks look for their ninth straight win. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Bucks-Raptors prediction and pick.</p><p>The Bucks and Raptors will play on Thursday as the Bucks will look to extend their winning streak. Milwaukee has rolled off eight wins in a row, and is beginning to round into their championship form following Khris Middleton’s return to the lineup. Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing at an MVP level, as usual, and the supporting cast is getting into a groove as well. Toronto is just 2-8 at home this season, and will look to take advantage of the fact that the Bucks are on a back-to-back on Thursday after outlasting the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night. The Bucks are solid favorites over the Raptors on Thursday despite being on the road and at a rest disadvantage.</p><p>Here are the Bucks-Raptors odds for this Thursday NBA matchup, courtesy of <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/">FanDuel</a>.</p><h2>NBA Odds: Bucks-Raptors odds</h2><p>Milwaukee Bucks -4 (-112)</p><p>Toronto Raptors +4 (-108)</p><p>Over 215 (-110)</p><p>Under 215 (-110)</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener">fuboTV (Click for free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Why The Bucks Can Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Bucks injury report isn’t yet out for Thursday night, and there is always the possibility someone rests on the second night of a back-to-back. It would be wise to wait for the final injury reports before placing bets on this one. Assuming the Bucks key guys are in, they are favorites here even being the team that is playing the back-to-back. Toronto is without one of their best players, OG Anunoby, so if the Bucks are healthy they should be able to take care of business vs. the Raptors on Thursday.</p><p>Across Milwaukee’s current eight game win-streak, the Bucks have the NBA’s <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=NET_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;LastNGames=8">second best net rating</a>. Over the eight-game stretch, Antetokounmpo is averaging a league-best 29.4 points per game on 61% shooting along with 12.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game to go with 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals. The two-time MVP is playing at maybe an even higher level than he did in those seasons. Milwaukee is 7-4 on the road this season and 10-12 vs. the spread. They should be in good position to pick up a win, but laying points on a road back-to-back is never the best feeling.</p><h2><b>Why The Raptors Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>Toronto being at home may sound like an edge, but so far this season they are just 2-8 on their own floor. That tide surely has to turn at some point, but it may not be Thursday night vs. the surging Bucks. The Raptors are missing a key player in Anunoby, one who could help defensively with Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. Pascal Siakam likely draws the Giannis matchup out of the gate, but it’s going to be tough to slow the Bucks down right now regardless. Perhaps Milwaukee will rest guys or not have legs following the hard-fought win over the Hornets on Wednesday. The Raptors will need some sort of good fortune to pick up a win in this one as the Bucks have been red-hot.</p><h2><b>Final Bucks-Raptors Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>Barring guys being held out for the Bucks, take Milwaukee to cover and win on Thursday vs. the Raptors. Toronto has struggled vs. better teams so far this season, and the Bucks are in a really good place right now. Milwaukee has been one of the better regular season teams in the NBA the past few years now, and they look like they have hit their stride this season.</p><p><b>FINAL BUCKS-RAPTORS PREDICTION &amp; PICK: Bucks -4 (-112)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks vs. Raptors prediction, odds, pick and more – 12/2/21

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Bucks.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s hilarious reaction to game-winning layup vs. Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-02T07:12:41-08:00">December 2nd, 7:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-02T07:13:41-08:00">December 2nd, 7:13am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a freelance sports journalist and full-time editor for ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP, he's writing predictions across the European soccer and NBA world for bettors at Sports Betting Dime, one of the fastest-growing sports betting sites in North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a nailbiter 127-125 victory on Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-draws-ultimate-respect-from-giannis-antetokounmpo-after-36-point-explosion-vs-bucks/">with none other than Giannis Antetokounmpo proving to be the difference-maker</a>.</p><p>With just seconds left on the clock, the Greek Freak drove through the lane and finished with a layup, not a dunk. Weird, right? We’re so used to seeing him put opponents on a poster. Well,<a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1466417100562604034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1466417100562604034%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php"> Antetokounmpo’s hilarious reaction to how he won the game for the Bucks says it all</a>:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Giannis knows he can’t just rely on his athleticism anymore 😅 <a href="https://t.co/8GoLZd8CX8" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/8GoLZd8CX8</a></p><p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1466417100562604034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Giannis with the jokes. In all seriousness though, he’s still an athletic freak. At that specific moment, it just seemed more logical for him to go with a simple layup instead of slamming it home.</p><p>The Bucks superstar had an absolute night, erupting for a game-high 40 points as Milwaukee won their eighth consecutive contest. The Hornets didn’t make it easy though, with LaMelo Ball showing out for 36 points as well.</p><p>Giannis is truly looking as agile as ever and at 26-years-old, he is in his prime. The bounce and explosiveness he has off the dribble are unmatched and when you pair that with a ridiculous wingspan, Antetokounmpo is frankly unstoppable.</p><p>With the Bucks finally at full strength again, they’re starting to solidify themselves as one of the best teams in the East after their title run just a number of months ago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s hilarious reaction to game-winning layup vs. Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/LaMelo-Ball-Hornets-.jpeg"></figure><h1>Hornets star LaMelo Ball draws ultimate respect from Giannis Antetokounmpo after 36-point explosion vs. Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-12-01T22:53:59-08:00">December 1st, 10:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-12-01T22:55:09-08:00">December 1st, 10:55pm</time><address><a>Jerry Donatien</a>Jerry Donatien is ClutchPoints' Charlotte Hornets beat reporter, covering everything from LaMelo Ball, analytical breakdowns and big-picture happenings.Jerry Donatien has worked for ClutchPoints since 2018. He is currently the company's Charlotte Hornets reporter, and he also does voiceovers on different sports stories. He worked the NBA All-Star weekend in 2019, the NCAA woman's tournament, and he interned with Beasley Media group.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets just took the defending champions, Giannis Antetkounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, down to the wire. Normally, they would have slow first-half starts, but that was not the case on Wednesday night.</p><p>Charlotte found itself leading by as many as 17 points at one point. The Bucks woke up in the second half, made it a tightly contested game, and ended up winning with a go-ahead basket by their star, Antetokounmpo. Before the Greek Freak’s big shot though, Ball hit the most clutch shot of his career with a go-ahead 3-pointer. That shot gave Melo a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/scores/nba/boxscore/charlotte-hornets-milwaukee-bucks-12-2-2021/76ad4f2e-c050-42e1-9fa6-badeeff79930" rel="noopener">career-high 36 points and eight threes</a> in the game.</p><p>James Borrego had a ton to say about his growth as a player after another stellar performance.</p><p>“He’s grown all year,” Borrego said. “We’re fortunate to have him. On the road against the NBA Champions, one of the elite teams. His fearlessness and composure is fantastic. He’s a great player, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The kid has a bright future.”</p><p>Ain’t that the truth. Ball seems to already be in mid-season form. He’s been racking up double-doubles and flirting with triple-doubles every now and then. Against the Bucks, he added five rebounds, nine assists and three steals to go with his new career-high in points. Not to mention, he also received a <a href="https://twitter.com/HoHighlights/status/1466253494172667904" rel="noopener">jersey swap from Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>, who was clearly impressed with Buzz City’s star.</p><p>The two embraced one another and exchanged the million dollar merchandise. Class act by both players showing respect for one another after hitting clutch shots for their teams down the stretch.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo and Giannis swap jerseys after crazy ENDING. 🤝🤝 <a href="https://t.co/0AfWtLvrqF" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/0AfWtLvrqF</a></p><p>— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoHighlights/status/1466253494172667904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Overall, the Hornets played one of their best games of the season despite losing. “We had the right mentality from the start,” Borrego said. “We played for 48 minutes the right way and I don’t have one minute where I don’t think we were playing the right way.”</p><p>He’s on the money. The Hornets were swarming on defense, moved the ball around for the best shot, and made the right basketball play nearly every trip down. The game just came down to who had the ball last. Fortunately for the Bucks, they had six seconds left to let Giannis go to work in the open floor with one man to beat.</p><p>The Hornets should have tons of positive things to pull from this game. Both LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges mentioned that the effort was there to win this game against one of the NBA’s best teams. They just have to play this same type of game against teams moving forward and success would be sure to follow.</p><p>They’ll be put to the test one more time in Atlanta for a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks. They have lost three straight games on this road trip, so that game will be huge.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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