Rockets vs. Bucks Pre-Game 12/22/21

Rockets Visit Milwaukee for Battle with Bucks

Ugly Front Half.    Bad News Bucks.    Something to Prove.

Houston tours Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Wednesday night. The defending champs snapped the Rockets seven-game winning streak earlier this month. Tonight marks the front half of a back-to-back, as Houston visits Indiana tomorrow night in their final game before the Christmas break. It’s an ugly front half, with Milwaukee aiming to snap their own two-game losing streak tonight. The Bucks are hungry for a win and have the home crowd on their side. That’s bad news for the Rockets, who are 3-14 on the road, second-worst in the league behind Detroit. The good news is, Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for Milwaukee. Like many players in the NBA at the moment, the Greek Freak was placed in the league’s healthy and safety protocols earlier this week. Giannis is the fuel that keeps the Buck fire burning. Houston has a chance, but Milwaukee plays so hard and feeds off their loud home crowd, that chance for the Rockets is very slim tonight.

There is good news for Houston in the near future. According to several reports, Jalen Green will finally make his return to the court in the second half of the Rockets’ back-to-back on Thursday night. Including tonight’s contest in Milwaukee, Green will have missed 14 consecutive games. Nonetheless, it’s good for Houston to finally get their prized rookie back in the lineup. The Bucks, meanwhile, get their second-best player, Khris Middleton, back tonight. Along with Giannis, Bobby Portis and Donte DiVencenzo are also out due to health and safety protocols.

So that means tonight is the last chance for a lot of other Rockets to show they belong to stay in the rotation. Expect a great team effort from Houston tonight. The squad knows Green’s return is on the horizon. Guys know their minutes are close to dwindling once Green returns. Tonight could be the last chance to convince Stephen Silas those minutes don’t need to be trimmed. Coach is faced with a lot of difficult roster tweaks by adding Green back in the starting unit. And a win over the defending champs, with Giannis or not… would be quite the convincing statement for the rest of the roster.

 

Fiserv Forum:  Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 

Jersey Colors:

Houston Rockets (10-21):  Black

Milwaukee Bucks (19-13):  White “City Edition”

 

Tip-Off:  7PM CT

TV:  AT&T Sportsnet SW,  NBA League Pass