How to watch Warriors at Bucks

Golden State basketball is on the way! Come join our game thread and chat about tonight’s matchup here.

The Golden State Warriors finish off a back-to-back with Saturday night’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. The game will be played at 5:00 PM PT in Milwaukee and can be watched on NBA TV and NBC Sports Bay Area.

Previously with the Warriors:

Golden State recovered from two consecutive blowout losses by beating the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, 140-131. It was a great way to begin their four-game road trip, especially after a disastrous seven-game homestand in which they finished with a 2-5 record. Klay Thompson had a spectacular evening, leading the team with 30 points on seven made threes. He also stuffed the stat sheet with six rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block.

Not to go unnoticed was the changes made to the starting lineup. Head coach Steve Kerr reinserted Andrew Wiggins to the starting group while taking out Jonathan Kuminga. The change seemed to have reinvigorated both as Wiggins played great defensively which sparked his offense, while Kuminga thrived off the bench with 24 points.

What to watch for tonight:

Saturday’s game will pit the Warriors against a Bucks team that is second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 26-12. They sport the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (120.7), and a big reason for that is due to the offseason trade for former Portland Trail Blazers point guard, Damian Lillard.

The seven-time All-Star continues to thrive on the Bucks’ offense, specifically as he forces teams to make tough decisions in the pick-and-roll. Focusing attention on Lillard by doubling him off the screen opens up Milwaukee’s dynamic big man combo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. However, not devoting enough attention on Lillard leaves defenses vulnerable to his deep three-point range where he is shooting 35.2% this season.

Having said that, losing Jrue Holiday in the Lillard trade significantly impacted the Bucks’ by dropping them to 19th in defensive rating (116.0). Similar to Golden State, Milwaukee struggles to defend at the point of attack, forcing them into constant help rotations. Antetokounmpo and Lopez are adept at cleaning up drives at the rim, but that leaves them vulnerable to shots along the perimeter. The Warriors’ shooting should hopefully expose the Bucks’ defensive flaws, especially after a hot shooting night from several players last night against the Bulls.

It’s going to take a lot for Golden State to beat a Bucks team that is currently one of the best in the league. Undermanned, playing the second night of a back-to-back, and still lacking confidence from a string of recent losses might be a recipe for disaster for the Warriors, but hopefully, they take can draw enough inspiration from Friday’s win and turn Saturday’s matchup into a trap game for the Bucks.

It should be a fun game. Enjoy the basketball Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!

Projected Starters

Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Dario Saric, Kevon Looney

*Update: Steph Curry ruled out (rest)

Bucks: Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez

How to watch Regular Season Game #39

Who: Golden State Warriors (18 - 20) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (26 - 12)

When: Saturday, January 13th, at 5:00 p.m. PT

Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

TV: NBA TV and NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)