The Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls will both be looking to win consecutive games for only the second time this season when they lock horns at the Fiserv Forum on Thursday.
The home side head into this one off the back of a hard-fought win over the Houston Rockets last time out, while the away side made light work of the Detroit Pistons.
Match preview
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Not many would have expected the Milwaukee Bucks to make a slow start to the season, but the 2021 champions played host to the Rockets on Tuesday having lost more than double the number of games (nine) they had won (four).
Trailing by six points heading into the final two minutes, Doc Rivers's men were in danger of slipping to a 4-10 record before a 7-0 run in the final 100 seconds, capped off by Damian Lillard's game-winner, turned the contest on its head.
That was a much-needed victory for the Bucks, who had been on the wrong end of some close games of late, most recently a 115-114 defeat to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday when a controversial foul call afforded LaMelo Ball the opportunity to win the game from the free-throw line.
While the Bucks are still yet to rediscover their defensive solidity, Tuesday's encounter saw them give up their joint second-fewest points in a game this term after previous holding the Toronto Raptors and the Utah Jazz to 85 and 100 points respectively.
Awaiting them next is the challenge of facing off against an opposing outfit who have emerged victorious from two of the last three meetings between the teams, including a comprehensive 133-122 triumph on October 26.
In the second of a four-game home stretch, Thursday's hosts will now set out to get the job done in front of their fans once again and continue their surge up the table following a slow start to the campaign.
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Off the back of their heaviest defeat of the season so far against the Rockets, the Chicago Bulls made the trip to the Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday to go head-to-head against a resurgent Detroit Pistons side.
Billy Donovan's men flew out of the blocks to go into the interval with an eight-point advantage before fending off a late salvo thanks to their 27-17 run in the final eight minutes led by Zach LaVine's monstrous fourth-quarter performance which yielded 18 points on 6-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
Since losing consecutive away games against the Brooklyn Nets and the Dallas Mavericks at the start of November, the Bulls have now won three of their subsequent four matches on the road either side of a 144-126 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bulls are ninth in the East as things stand, albeit only three wins behind third-place Orlando Magic in what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested conference with just under 20% of the regular season played already.
Currently with the second-most points allowed per game (122.9) behind the Washington Wizards (124.7), Thursday's visitors will need to tighten up their defence if they are to mount a significant push to return to the playoffs.
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Team News
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Damian Lillard returned to action from a concussion protocol to hit the winning shot for the Bucks last time out, and the point guard is expected to also suit up for Thursday's clash.
However, the home side are set to be without the services of Khris Middleton (ankle) and Ryan Rollins (shoulder), although the latter is relatively closer to making a comeback.
Twenty-seven-year-old Lonzo Ball is still battling with a wrist injury and will be re-evaluated in a week's time before determining his availability for game action.
Coby White will be looking to come up trumps for the Bulls once again after a stellar 35-point display in last month's win against the Bucks which remains his season-high.
Milwaukee Bucks possible starting five:
Lillard, Jackson Jr.; Prince, Antetokounmpo; Lopez
Chicago Bulls possible starting five:
Giddey, White; LaVine, Williams; Vucevic
We say: Bucks to win by 7+ points
The Bucks were far from their best against the Rockets but just about did enough to win a thrilling contest.
While we expect the Bulls to pose a similarly stern challenge, we are also backing the home side to carry the day at the sound of the final buzzer.
Adepoju Marvellous
