SPORTS LINE
The Bucks currently sit at 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
The Bucks just lost in the In-Season Tournament Semi-Final to Indiana, going down 128-119 as 5.5-point favorites. Giannis leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 30.5 PPG and 10.6 RPG. He joins Joel Embiid as one of the only two players in the league averaging over 30 points and 10 rebounds. Giannis has had 30 or more in each of his last three games, with a high of 37 against the Pacers. The Milwaukee Bucks’ defense remains a glaring weakness. The Bucks’ offense though, which features two members of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, is often explosive enough to overwhelm most opponents. An old adage goes; “defense wins championships,” and that’s been a major problem for Milwaukee this season. The team has ranked near the bottom of the league in defensive rating this season. That lack of tenacity on defense has led to some tough losses throughout the season, including a defeat at the hands of their Eastern Conference rivals like Boston. As a team, they are still having a good season with a 15-7 record, top-three offense in the league, and elite in the clutch thanks to Damian Lillard. Milwaukee’s front office made the move Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted, bringing in a new coach in Griffin, but putting a rookie coach in charge, plus adding a major new piece in Lillard — was always going to lead to a steep learning curve for a winning team.
The Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers had a golden opportunity to boost their playoff hopes for the 2023-24 NFL season on Monday but fell to the Giants 24-22 in primetime. The Packers, who entered Week 14 with the league’s easiest remaining schedule (based on opponents’ winning percentages), turned the ball over three times in defeat, head coach Matt LaFleur’s first ever in December after 16 consecutive wins. The Packers were lazy defensively and let Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito do whatever he wanted, and Jordan Love was too inconsistent on the other side. There were some missed plays by the young receivers and head coach Matt LaFleur made some questionable play calls. Love’s hot streak came to a screeching halt on Monday night. Love had an up-and-down performance. He lost a fumble and threw an ill-advised pass that resulted in an interception in the second quarter. Love did conduct a potential game-winning touchdown drive with multiple nice throws late in the fourth quarter, but the Giant’s offense went down the field on their next possession. Green Bay retained the conference’s third and final wild-card spot but are now tied with the Rams, Seahawks, Falcons, and Saints, all five teams with 6-7 records.
