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Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Play Tonight? Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks: Injury Update, Lineup and Game Prediction

Published 01/09/2021, 12:00 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Milwaukee Bucks in an Eastern Conference showdown. Despite the difference in quality, the two teams have had a similar start to the season. The Bucks have looked inconsistent so far, with a 5-4 record this season, having lost many games that they could have easily won.

A prime example is their loss against Boston, where Giannis missed free throws to tie the game and send it to overtime. The arrival of Jrue Holiday from New Orleans in the off-season hasn’t yielded the expected results yet. While Holiday has been performing well, the Bucks have been losing games that they should have won.

The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are performing better than expectations. Collin Sexton has been playing at a superstar level. Recently, he matched Cavaliers’ legend LeBron James as the second player to score 20+ points in their opening seven games. Sexton has been the driving force behind the Cavs good form so far, but even they host a 5-4 record this season.

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With that in mind, let us take a look at what fans can expect when the Cavs face the Bucks.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Team News

USA Today via Reuters

The Cavaliers continue to miss key players throughout this season. Former All-Star Kevin Love is still out after a calf injury. Darius Garland and Matthew Dellavedova have been ruled out for the game against Milwaukee. Collin Sexton, who has been key to the success of the Cavs this year, is ‘questionable’ to play against the Bucks.

The Cavaliers will have to put out a makeshift team against the Bucks with the number of players injured against the Bucks.

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Predicted Line-Up: Damyean Dotson, Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance Jr., Andre Drummond

Milwaukee Bucks

USA Today via Reuters

The Milwaukee Bucks aren’t missing any significant players right now. Pat Connaughton and Torrey Craig are unlikely to play, given they are still recovering from their respective injuries. Other than that, the Bucks can be expected to field their strongest possible line-up. The trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday will be in the lineup.

The Bucks will have their strength in numbers, and their bench players to boost the team.

Predicted Line-Up: Jrue Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks – Prediction

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USA Today via Reuters

The Cavaliers are missing many important players heading into the game against Milwaukee. Kevin Love, Collin Sexton and Darius Garland have been playing well since the season has started, and their loss will be huge. On the other hand, the Bucks are seemingly at full strength.

With the Cavs missing their top performers, expect the Milwaukee Bucks to take this one from them.

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Prediction – Milwaukee Bucks pick up an important win over a conference rival in Cleveland.

Who will win between Milwaukee and Cleveland? Is a shock upset on the cards for Milwaukee? The game in Cleveland promises to be an interesting fixture.

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Written by:

Aaditya Krishnamurthy

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Aaditya Krishnamurthy is an NBA & NFL journalist for EssentiallySports, before which he worked at BusinessWorld magazine. He has been a fan of Basketball for over 10 years now, since Shaquille O’Neal was a Phoenix Suns player. During his time at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, he started a sports magazine for the college called the Overtime Tribune and hosted the Overtime Tribune Podcast until he graduated.
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