'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Milwaukee Bucks will take on the Atlanta Hawks in an enticing NBA season 2020-21 matchup at the State Farm Arena on Thursday night.
In the previous meeting between the two sides, the Bucks came out on top with a 129-115 victory.
Both teams are in decent form heading into Thursday's contest. The Milwaukee Bucks are on a two-game winning run, while the Atlanta Hawks have recorded three consecutive victories before this matchup.
In their last outing, the Milwaukee Bucks decimated the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-105, thanks to Khris Middleton's 27 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds. The Bucks played their sixth straight game without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is out due to a left knee soreness issue.
The Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, beat the Toronto Raptors 108-103 in their last game. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 23 points, while Clint Capela had 19 points and 21 rebounds on the night to help their side record their 30th win of the season.
The Hawks managed to win despite missing seven players, including Trae Young, who missed his second straight game due to a calf injury.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks - Prediction
The Milwaukee Bucks will likely play this game without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time reigning league MVP has been out with a knee injury for the last six games, and there is no timetable available for his return. During that stretch, the Bucks managed a 3-3 record.
The Milwaukee Bucks lost three straight games before their recent two-game winning run. They suffered defeats to the Dallas Mavericks and the Charlotte Hornets during that stretch.
The Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, have been dealing with a plethora of injury problems. The Hawks will be without De'Andre Hunter, Kris Dunn, Tony Snell, Cam Reddish and John Collins for Thursday's game, as they are all recovering from their respective injuries at the moment.
However, the Atlanta Hawks will be hoping that the likes of Trae Young and Danillo Gallinari will make their return on Thursday, as they are listed as questionable to face the Milwaukee Bucks. These players have been out for a long time, but that hasn't stopped the Hawks from winning games. They have managed to win seven of their last eight games.
Considering these facts, the Atlanta Hawks will be favorites heading into their matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks - Combined 5
Point Guard - Trae Young l Shooting Guard - Jrue Holiday l Small Forward - Bogdan Bogdanovic l Power Forward - Khris Middleton l Center - Clint Capela.
The Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young and the Milwaukee Bucks' Jrue Holiday will be the backcourt pairing in our combined lineup.
Trae Young is enjoying a great campaign so far. He has been highly effective as a scorer and playmaker this term, leading his team in scoring (25.4) and assists (9.5).
Jrue Holiday, on the other hand, is regarded as one of the best off-season acquisitions this season. He has helped the Milwaukee Bucks improve defensively and has also provided much-needed support to the likes of Giannis and Khris Middleton. He is averaging 17.1 points, 5.4 assists and a team-high 1.7 steals per contest so far.
With both Giannis and John Collins ruled out for this fixture, the two forwards in our imaginary combined lineup will be Bogdan Bogdanovic and Khris Middleton.
Bogdanovic has been remarkable for the Atlanta Hawks lately, producing match-winning performances in the absence of key stars like Young, Hunter and Collins. He has amassed 20.5 points per contest in his last ten outings.
Middleton, on the other hand, is averaging 20.1 points, six rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season.
The center position in this combined lineup will be occupied by Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks. He has been more effective than Brook Lopez and has managed to outperform his counterpart in every department this season.
Capela is averaging 15.4 points and is the league leader in rebounds with 14.2 per game. He is third overall in blocks per game at 2.2 per contest.
