League Pass Preview: Bucks vs Trail Blazers

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard

With four games on the NBA slate, our pick for the top game on League Pass is Bucks at Trail Blazers.

Blazers 118, Bucks 103

These are the only two teams in the NBA that rank inside the top five in both offensive and defensive rating.

The Bucks are looking to help make some NBA history on the verge of a 9-1 start.

There has never been a season in NBA history in which four teams started 9-1 or better. Milwaukee is looking to join the Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.

You can sign up for League Pass here and watch every minute of the action.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are coming off perhaps their most impressive performance of the season thus far after scoring 144 points in Monday's 35-point shellacking of the Kings in Sacramento. Milwaukee's performance was so impressive that even the Kings social media team couldn't help making light of the situation.


The 144 points were the most the Bucks have scored in any game since dropping 155 in a five overtime - yes, FIVE OVERTIME - game against the Seattle SuperSonics back in 1989. You have to go all the way back to 1979 to find the last time the Bucks scored that many points in a regulation game.

That was 15 years before Giannis Antetokounmpo was even born. Now one month shy of his 24th birthday, the Greek Freak is looking like every bit the MVP candidate he was billed as entering the season with averages of 26.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He's coming off a masterful 26-point triple-double in that win over the Kings. Something to watch for in this one? He's never had back-to-back triple-doubles.

While Giannis is certainly must-see League Pass action, there's far more to the Bucks than just him.

Khris Middleton could be on the verge of his first All-Star season as he's averaging over 19 points per game and connecting on a sizzling 49.3 percent from beyond the arc.

With Middleton sniping from the outside alongside newcomers Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova, Milwaukee's revamped offence under new coach Mike Budenholzer has been one of the best in the league, ranking fourth in offensive rating while taking a whopping 41.0 three-point attempts per game, second behind only the Houston Rockets.

In addition to an offence that generates more wide open looks than any team in the league, the Bucks also have the NBA's top defence, allowing just 100.1 points per 100 possessions.

Portland Trail Blazers

Like the Bucks, the Trail Blazers are also coming off perhaps their best game of the season, a 30-point home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. That game was all about balance as Jusuf Nurkic led the team in scoring with 19 points while Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Meyers Leonard and Zach Collns all scored in double figures.

Lillard has been sensational in building upon last year's 1st-Team All-NBA selection, averaging a career-high 28.1 points per game which ranks tied for third in the NBA entering Wednesday.

This is the fourth game in a season-long six game home stand for the Trail Blazers who after this one host the Clippers and Celtics before embarking on a six-game road trip.

Last time they played

Date: November 30, 2017

Bucks 103, Trail Blazers 91

MIL: Giannis Antetokounmpo - 20 points, 7-20 FG, 9 rebounds

MIL: Khris Middleton - 26 points, 10-17 FG

POR: Damian Lillard - 18 points, 7-16 FG, 7 assists, 7 rebounds

POR: Jusuf Nurkic - 25 points, 11 rebounds

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