Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Milwaukee Bucks – Game #37

Chris Paul and the Spurs travel to play the Bucks (Photo via X)

The San Antonio Spurs (18-18) will play their second game of a four-game road trip tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks (18-16). The Spurs are coming off of a demoralizing loss in Chicago versus the Bulls. San Antonio led for a majority of the game before relaxing and allowing the Bulls to escape with a victory.

Tonight, the Spurs will look to bounce back in Milwaukee. The Bucks have lost four of their last six games. Since winning the NBA Cup over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee is just 4-5.

After an impressive two-game winning streak that featured wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, the Spurs have fallen back to .500 with a two-game losing streak.

San Antonio Spurs Injury Update

Unfortunately, the Spurs have some injury news to report. Jeremy Sochan, who recently missed a game due to a lower back issue, will miss the game in Milwaukee. According to reports, San Antonio’s starting power forward  is dealing with back tightness. 

This will be the 15th game that Sochan will miss this season. Before his back problem, he missed time due to a broken thumb.

Milwaukee Bucks Injury Update

The injury news is good for the Bucks. While MIlwaukee lists Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on their injury report, both players are listed as probable. It’d be very surprising if either player is unable to play against the Spurs.

San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup

The last time Sochan missed a game, interim head coach Mitch Johnson inserted rookie guard Stephon Castle into the starting lineup. Expect that to happen once again tonight in Milwaukee. To round out the starting five, expect Johnson to go with Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and Devin Vassell.

After a five-game stretch that saw Paul score only 5.4 points per game while shooting 24.3% from the field and 11.1% from three-point range, the legendary point guard bounced back with 18 points against the Bulls. In Chicago, he was 7-for-13 from the floor, 2-for-6 from three-point range and 2-for-2 at the free throw line.

Betting Guide: Spurs at Bulls

The Bucks are favored by 5.5 points and the over/under is 222.5 points. The smart money is on the over. Without Sochan, San Antonio could struggle on the defensive end. Offensively, the Spurs should be able to put plenty of points on the board, especially because they should be motivated following that disappointing loss to the Bulls.