OKC Thunder look to stop Greek Freak in matchup versus Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo matchup:

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The Greek Freak is a positionless player who can do almost anything on the floor. He can take over a game and that’s why in this encounter a key matchup would be any player that goes up against him.

From Adams, Noel, Dort to Terrance Ferguson whoever is defending him will have a huge job to complete. But the confidence of these guys to do the job will show.

Often teams play against Antetokounmpo and don’t have a defensive system that can stop him. He’s just too good but the OKC Thunder has a skill at implementing suffocating defense, forcing you to take tough shots and miss ones you’d usually make with ease.

They can defend your best player and showed that in the first half the last time these teams met. Thunder players were swarming to block the MVP and disturb his rhythm which forced him to turn over the ball.

So let’s see how OKC approaches this one.

Danilo Gallinari versus Khris Middleton:

Danilo Gallinari and Khris Middleton are two major contributors to their respective squads. Gallinari averages 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. And Middleton averages 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. They have a shared ability to be versatile on the floor and shoot the lights out.

The last time they went head to head, Gallinari put up 14 points and Middleton added 10. These were both low scoring performances compared to how well they are playing at the moment. Do expect a well-rounded effort from both forwards.

Odds predictions:

Here’s the betting line for the game:

Game specifics

The Venue: Fiserv Forum

Tipoff: 8:00 PM ET  | 7:00 PM CT

TV: FS Oklahoma

Radio: WWLS 98.1 FM OKC

History:

The teams have played each other 22 times in the regular season with the OKC Thunder holding a 13-9 advantage.

Enjoy the game and check back after for player grades and takeaways.