Milwaukee Bucks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Match Preview - January 26th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Milwaukee Bucks will see an end to their three-game home stand as they travel to Cleveland for an away fixture against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Milwaukee Bucks will head into this game on the back of a 133-127 win against the Sacramento Kings. Improving to 30-19 on the season, the Bucks will head into their next game on a three-game winning streak.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are also coming off a 95-93 win against the New York Knicks at home. With their second win in a row, the Cavaliers also see themselves improving to 29-19 on the season.
Wednesday's game is the third installment in the four-game series between the two teams. With the series tied at one apiece, both teams will look to get one up as the competitive battle between the fourth and fifth seeds in the East ensues.
Match Details
Fixture - Milwaukee Bucks vs Cleveland Cavaliers | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Wednesday, January 26th, 2022; 7:00 PM ET (Thursday, January 27th, 2022; 5:30 AM IST)
Venue - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Milwaukee Bucks Preview
Coming off their win against the Sacramento Kings, the Milwaukee Bucks have put together a steady series of wins to climb the ranks of the East. Currently finding themselves in fourth spot, the Bucks have managed to put together a 3-2 record in their last five games.
Milwaukee trailed against the Kings at different points during the first half. However, a late second quarter run would see the team establish a steady lead that would see them through to the win.
On the back of a great scoring outing by Khris Middleton, who had 34 points on the night, the Bucks also saw Jrue Holiday and Donte DiVincenzo step up as contributors for the team with 26 points and 20 points each.
Heading into their next game, the Milwaukee Bucks will see the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo from injury. The superstar was rested due to knee soreness in the previous game.
Key Player - Giannis Antetokounmpo
A key player for the Milwaukee Bucks in this game on Wednesday will be Giannis Antetokounmpo. Having missed the last game due to injury, Antetokounmpo being on the floor with the team gives Milwaukee a completely different identity.
"The Greek Freak" has had another dominant season. He leads the Bucks in scoring and rebounding, averaging 28.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. His consistency makes him a strong candidate for the MVP award this season. He will have a big role to play in their upcoming game on Wednesday.
While Antetokounmpo is the primary scorer and plays a major role in facilitating the offense, he will be important in establishing a scoring rhythm in the paint.
How do you even guard this?! @Giannis_An34 https://t.co/fS9UAkMNGd
With Jarrett Allen out of the rotation, Giannis Antetokounmpo will have every opportunity to feast in the low post. If the defense collapses to restrict him, the Bucks will also see opportunities to score from the outside, thus creating a serious dilemma for the Cavaliers' defense.
Milwaukee Bucks Predicted Lineup
G - Jrue Holiday | G - Pat Connaughton | F - Khris Middleton | F - Giannis Antetokounmpo | C - Bobby Portis
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers have looked like an extremely competent and competitive side this season. Featuring a young core led by point guard starlet Darius Garland, the Cavaliers find themselves in the fifth seed with a 29-19 record.
Cleveland has had a very successful string of outings in the last few weeks. Registering a 4-1 record over the course of their last five games, the Cleveland Cavaliers saw a steady rise through the East that has remained consistent even in the absence of some key players.
Garland and Jarrett Allen continue to be the focal points for the team. The Cavaliers also saw meaningful contributions from Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen and a revival from Kevin Love, who had a stellar performance in the previous game.
What a terrific performance by Kevin Love and Evan Mobley! 🔥 https://t.co/hfwGpRQXvd
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be relatively shorthanded as they head into their next matchup. With Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen both out of the rotation, the side will look to make some adjustments to compensate for their losses.
Key Player - Darius Garland
A key player for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Wednesday's home game will be Darius Garland. The young starlet has enjoyed a breakout season with the Cavaliers and seems to be in the conversation to be an All-Star as well.
Garland is one of the shiftiest guards in the league. Making use of change of pace moves and constantly taking advantage of mismatches at the top of the key, Garland plays an orthodox brand of basketball which allows him to maximize his own output while also creating for his teammates.
Darius Garland is carving his way into Cavs' history 🔥
(via @ESPNStatsInfo) https://t.co/i9nXlaCrj0
The 21-year old registers an average of 19.6 points and 8.8 assists per game. Considering that he will be covered by one of the best defensive guards in the league in Jrue Holiday, Garland will surely have his work cut out for him if he is to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to another win.
Cleveland Cavaliers Predicted Lineup
G - Darius Garland | G - Isaac Okoro | F - Evan Mobley | F - Dean Wade | C - Ed Davis
Bucks vs Cavaliers Match Predictions
The Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers poses for an exciting game. In what could be a potential first-round matchup in the playoffs, the competitive air surrounding the game holds a lot of promise.
However, the odds favor Milwaukee for this game. Although the Cavaliers will enjoy homecourt advantage, with players such as Jarrett Allen out of the rotation, the Cavaliers have almost no one to come close to containing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While also considering the form the former MVP is in, it is hard to see how the Bucks will lose if he is allowed to roam free.
Where to watch Bucks vs Cavaliers game?
The Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game will be locally broadcast on Bally Sports Ohio. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game by tuning into WTAM/WMMS/WNZN.