NBA action will see the Milwaukee Bucks take on Houston Rockets tonight. Here we look at the match preview and where you can watch the game.
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The Milwaukee Bucks will take on Houston Rockets in what should be a great match-up between two of the MVP front-runners in Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden.
The Bucks won their restart game 119-112 against Celtics in a tense clash while the Rockets defeated the Mavericks 153-149 in overtime, in what was an offensive overdose.
Giannis looked potent against the Celtics but almost landed himself in trouble after getting himself fouled out. Meanwhile, James Harden looked like he hadn’t missed a step against the Mavericks by scoring 49 points. The duo are set for titanic clash tonight, one of brute force vs finesse.
Giannis and Harden have traded barbs over the course of the season and it would be interesting to watch them go head-to-head tonight.
The Bucks can consolidate their position at the top of the Eastern Conference whereas the Rockets will want to jump past OKC Thunder in the days to come to get that 5th seed in the West.
Where to watch Bucks vs Rockets on TV and Online?
As with every game in the league, this clash will be available on the NBA TV. NBA TV is available on the official NBA website and the mobile application.
However, viewers need a NBA League Pass to access it. Certain free trails are available for users depending upon their country.
The game is slated for a 8:30 PM ET tip-off and will be streamed live on AT&T SPORTSNET – SOUTHWEST and FOX SPORTS WISCONSIN.
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Team preview – Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks continued their dominance in the east with a victory over the Celtics to consolidate their status as the top seeds in the East.
The Bucks eked out a win against the Celtics with Giannis putting up 36 points and 15 rebounds to lead them to a victory. Giannis survived some close foul calls to remain on the court late into the fourth quarter which led to some disgruntled reactions from Celtics’ star Jaylen Brown.
All-star Khris Middleton put on 18 points and looked rusty from the field. Brook Lopez has been fantastic defensively and is a NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The defensive stalwart put up 14 points against the Celtics. The Bucks have the best defense with a 101.6 defensive rating and will have a stern test in the form of the Rockets.
With the top seed almost wrapped up and Giannis suffering from some injury niggles, expect the reigning MVP to be rotated a little.
Expected starting line-up: Donte DiVincenzo, Wesley Matthews, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokoumpo, Brook Lopez
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Team preview – Houston Rockets
The Rockets strategy to go small has benefited them this season although they have been out-rebounded by 9.4 rebounds per game. The Rockets continue to lean on James Harden for their offense who seems to be going from strength to strength in his offensive abilities. His ability to get to the free throw line will be challenged by Giannis and co. in what should be a brilliant match-up between two great teams.
Russell Westbrook scored 31 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists and continues to be a great 1-2 with Harden. The duo are currently the highest scoring duos in the league, however, they will be tested by Rockets’ stoic defense. Covington came up with the goods late on in the match vs Mavs and will be hoping to kick on from the start tonight.
James Harden playing great defense against the Mavs in the 4th Qtr and OT last night: pic.twitter.com/vdZZzwOMGs
— Aqib Gazi (@Aqib_Rockets) August 1, 2020
The Rockets got decent support from their bench against the Mavericks. Jeff Green, Austin Rivers, and Ben McLemore all finished in double-figures on the night with McLemore scoring 13 points. However, the squad will continue to miss the services of shooting guard Eric Gordon, who sat out the opening game with a sprained ankle. He is expected to be out for about 10 more days though.
Expected starting line-up: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Danuel House, Robert Covington, PJ Tucker
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This game is bound to be interesting with the the best offense in the league taking on the best defense in the league. The Rockets small-ball strategy will definitely be challenged by the Bucks tonight. Expect Giannis and co. to come out victorious though.
