Meeting for the second time in as many games, the Milwaukee Bucks host the Charlotte Hornets in a Group C matchup in NBA Cup play on Friday.
Charlotte snapped a three-game losing streak with a 111-100 home victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday. In its most impressive win to date, Charlotte led by as many as 22, holding a lead for the final 39:52.
Hornets coach Charles Lee’s task got easier after Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was scratched before the game with left knee patellar tendinopathy.
“I was proud of a lot of things,” Lee said. “First and foremost, to be able to adjust your mindset from one scouting report that you do at shootaround until a major creator is out. Now you’ve got to be thinking less about the paint and little more about the 3-point line. I thought our group did a great job of adjusting with some different coverages.”
Antetokounmpo — the league’s scoring leader with 33.4 points per game — will be a game-time decision for the Friday rematch. Charlotte won despite also playing without its leading playmaker, as LaMelo Ball (23.3 points, 9.8 assists, 7.8 rebounds) missed his fifth straight game with an ankle injury. Listed as probable for Friday, Ball will vie to return to action for the first time since Nov. 1.
Helping shoulder the load, first-round draft pick Kon Knueppel leads all rookies with 16.6 ppg, starting in 10 of Charlotte’s 11 games.
“I’m getting a little bit more comfortable,” Knueppel said. “For the most part I’m not turning the ball over as much. I’m playing with pace. I’m pretty confident with what I can do on the court.”
Since winning four of five to begin the season, Milwaukee has alternated losses and wins in November. With Antetokounmpo out, the Bucks’ next go-to scorer is an unlikely source.
Ryan Rollins, who bounced around the league a few seasons ago, showed glimpses of production last season for the Bucks, averaging 6.2 points per game in a reserve role.
The 23-year-old now ranks second on the Bucks with a 17.3 clip, pouring in 25 points on Wednesday to pace Milwaukee.
“Ryan’s just a good basketball player,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said. “I keep saying it every night in every city. We don’t look at it as, ‘We’re proud of Ryan tonight.’ He’s just a very good basketball player.”
Antetokounmpo’s absence affects more than just offensive production, as his 11.9 rebounds per contest lead the team by an overwhelming margin.
Milwaukee, which was outrebounded 50-34 by the Hornets, looks to bring a physical edge on Friday. Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate played a key role in the disparity, pulling down 13 rebounds.
“I think everybody’s got to be a little more aggressive,” Rollins said. “Box out and when you have somebody like Diabate on the other end, he’s just a horse down there on the offensive glass. When you see him one-on-one with somebody, we need to go help out, because that’s his specialty.”
The Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 126-110 in their first NBA Cup game last Friday, while Charlotte fell 126-108 to the Miami Heat.
