Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks will be playing against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets tonight. As many NBA fans should be aware, the Bucks made a drastic change to their roster and decided to acquire Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Although the combination of Dame and Giannis should make the Bucks legitimate title contenders, they have not started off the season too well. At the moment, the Bucks hold a record of 7 wins and 4 losses. That puts them behind other teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat.
On the other hand, the Charlotte Hornets have gotten off to a worse start this season and have a record of 3 wins and 7 losses. This isn’t too surprising considering that the Hornets are quite a young and inexperienced team.
As both the Bucks and Hornets get ready to face off, let us take a look at the injury reports and expected starting lineups in order to find out which stars will be playing. Additionally, a prediction regarding the outcome of this game will also be made towards the end.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as questionable for the Milwaukee Bucks vs Charlotte Hornets game tonight
In all fairness, a record of 7-4 to start off the NBA season means that the new Bucks squad is doing quite well. Although it might take some time for Damian Lillard to integrate himself into the system perfectly, there is no denying that Giannis Antetokounmpo is the clear-cut best player on the team.
Unforuntealy, he might not play in this game against the Hornets. According to the injury reports, the Greek Freak is listed as questionable due to a calf injury.
Under the assumption that he does not play, the rest of the Bucks squad has to step up and get this win against the Hornets. That said, here are the complete injury reports and expected rosters for both sides.
Milwaukee Bucks injury report
- Jae Crowder (out)
- Chris Livingston (out0
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (questionable)
- MarJon Beauchamp (questionable)
Milwaukee Bucks expected starting lineup
- Damian Lillard
- Malik Beasley
- Khris Middleton
- Andre Jackson Jr.
- Brook Lopez
Charlotte Hornets injury report
(There are no injuries reported for the Hornets tonight)
Charlotte Hornets expected starting lineup
- LaMelo Ball
- Theo Maledon
- Paul Jamaine Washington Jr.
- JT Thor
- Mark Williams
As we can tell, the Bucks will likely be missing Giannis. On the other hand, the Hornets look completely healthy for this game. Now, let us find out the predictions for this game.
The Bucks are favored over the Hornets tonight
Although Milwaukee might not have Giannis on the court tonight, they will still be considered the more talented and experienced team when compared to the Hornets. After all, the Bucks managed to win an NBA title in recent history and are considered a higher-tier team.
Since this will also be an In-Season game, Milwaukee has no reason to take things easy and let the Hornets steal this game from them. While it is still possible for LaMelo and his squad to get a win, they will not be expected to do so tonight against the Bucks.