The Golden State Warriors (58-13) and their third-ranked offense travel to Milwaukee (36-36) to take on the Bucks and their top-ranked defense. Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 28 and can be seen on CSN-BA and FSN-WI.
The Bucks played well in their last game, topping the Pacers 111-107 on Thursday. Ersan Ilyasova was the game’s leading scorer with 34 points on 12-for-14 shooting. The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a 122-108 win against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Stephen Curry claimed his 21st double-double of the season with 33 points and 10 assists.
Zaza Pachulia and Ilyasova have been better than usual over the last five games for the Bucks. During that stretch, Pachulia has averaged 13.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.0 steals, while Ilyasova has recorded 20.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.8 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers a game.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Milwaukee ranks third in the league, allowing just 99.9 points per 100 possessions, while Golden State is first (98.0). Also, the Warriors’s third-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 108.6) will face off against the third-ranked defense of the Bucks (defensive efficiency of 99.9).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first matchup 102-93. Draymond Green put up 23 points and 12 rebounds.
The odds for Milwaukee and Golden State are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Bucks have gone 36-36 Straight Up (SU) and 40-30-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 11-18 SU and 14-15 ATS against the Western Conference. Milwaukee’s defenders rank fourth in the NBA in steals with 9.4 per game. Milwaukee is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 18.7 points per game.
As for their opponent, the Warriors have 58-13 SU and 42-28-1 ATS records. Golden State performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Warriors rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking second in the league with 756 made (10.7 per game). The Warriors are a very unselfish team with a NBA-leading 27.4 assists per game. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Warriors are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 9.4 steals per game. Golden State is the second-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.5 per game. One advantage for the Warriors could be Milwaukee’s high fouls per game average of 22.2.
In their previous meeting this season, Golden State beat Milwaukee, but the win was not enough to overtake Milwaukee in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Bucks also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. In these last 10 matchups, Golden State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice, with Milwaukee controlling all three of these areas one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
Milwaukee has allowed an average of 97.5 points per game this season. Golden State averages 109.8 points per game, placing the team at the top of the NBA in scoring.
Milwaukee has allowed an average of 96.2 points per home game this season. Golden State averages 106.6 points per away game, placing the team at the top of the NBA in scoring.
The Golden State Warriors are undefeated at 38-0 when they allow fewer than 100 points, while the Milwaukee Bucks are 19-22 when they can’t put up at least 100.
Golden State has a solid 20-13 record when it gives up 100 or more points this season. Milwaukee is 17-14 when it puts up triple digits.
Golden State’s offense and Milwaukee’s defense both rank third this season. Golden State has an offensive rating of 108.6 and Milwaukee has a defensive rating of 99.9.
Golden State has an average field goal percentage of 47.9% (ranked first). Milwaukee is an underachieving 4-13 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank higher in field goal percentage (eighth) than effective field goal percentage (13th), while the Golden State Warriors rank the same for both metrics (first).
The Golden State Warriors top the league in assists, earning 27.4 per game this season. The Milwaukee Bucks are also among the best in the NBA, earning 23.2 per game (ranked seventh).
Golden State ranks near the top of the league in blocking at second (6.1 blocks per game). Milwaukee is ranked 10th, with 5.0 blocks per game.
Milwaukee is ranked 18th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Golden State ranks third in defensive rebounds.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank fourth in steals, with an average of 9.4 per game. When the Golden State Warriors allow at least 9 steals, they have an outstanding 28-8 record.
