Milwaukee @ Brooklyn preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 6, 2019 ) Brooklyn 133, Milwaukee 128

The Brooklyn Nets haven't exactly taken off since All-Star guard Kyrie Irving returned from a 26-game absence, and he is already pointing out things that need to change. Irving and the Nets will try to avoid a three-game slide when they host the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

Irving managed 14 points on 6-of-21 shooting in a 117-106 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday before talking about all the help he needs. "I mean, it's transparent," Irving told reporters. "It's out there. It's glaring, in terms of the pieces that we need in order to be at that next level. I'm going to continue to reiterate it. We're going to do the best with the guys that we have in our locker room now, and we'll worry about all the other stuff, in terms of moving pieces and everything else, as an organization down the line in the summer." The Milwaukee Bucks seem to have all the pieces they need to make a run at an NBA title and a 70-win regular season and pushed their latest winning streak to five in a row with a 128-123 triumph over Boston on Thursday but were unhappy with allowing a 27-point lead to slip away. "We were up 20 twice, they came back," Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters. "We were up 20 the first game. They came back. We didn't play the best basketball and how we usually play. I was kind of upset after the game and talking in the locker room, talking to one another, we were like, 'Guys, we were up 20. We won, but this is not going to go in the playoffs. We've gotta play for 48 minutes.'"

TIME: 6 p.m. ET. TV: NBA TV, FS Wisconsin, YES, TSN1

ABOUT THE BUCKS (37-6): Antetokounmpo recorded 32 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists on Thursday while swingman Khris Middleton added 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Middleton is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor over the last four games and is drawing glowing reviews from teammates for his leadership abilities. "I think Giannis’ greatness can overshadow a lot of things sometimes and that's fine, we're all totally fine with that, but Khris is a great basketball player," veteran guard Kyle Korver told reporters, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He doesn't have a weakness to his game. I've been surprised being on his team now seeing how good of a passer he is and seeing how well he reads the game. He can do a lot with the ball in his hands and I think it's good when Giannis is out of the game and we try to go to him a lot and try to have him facilitate. He's been doing that all year."

ABOUT THE NETS (18-22): Brooklyn went 13-13 with Irving out and is 1-2 since his return, with losses against Utah and at Philadelphia in the last two contests. Irving signed with Brooklyn over the summer as a free agent along with Kevin Durant, who is out for the season recovering from Achilles surgery, and wants to see the team continue to add. "Collectively, I feel like we have great pieces, but it's pretty glaring we need one more piece or two more pieces that will complement myself, (Durant), (center DeAndre Jordan), (guard Garrett Temple), (guard Spencer Dinwiddie), (guard Caris LeVert), and we'll see how that evolves," Irving, who was a team-worst minus-29 on Wednesday, told reporters after the loss.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nets C Jarrett Allen collected 17 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday for his third double-double in the last four games.

2. Bucks G Donte DiVincenzo is averaging 14 points on 21-of-40 shooting over the last four contests.

3. Milwaukee took three of the four meetings last season and eight of the last 10 in the series.

PREDICTION: Bucks 128, Nets 107