Milwaukee @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 13, 2017 ) Memphis 103, Milwaukee 110

The Milwaukee Bucks went through a bit of a rough patch with losses in six of seven while facing stiff competition, but the schedule is lightening up a bit. The Bucks began a stretch of four straight against losing teams with a 120-112 win over the New York Knicks on Friday and will try to make it two in a row when they visit the NBA-worst Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Milwaukee is sitting in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and played six of its last seven games against teams in the top eight of their respective conferences before starting a four-game stretch against bottom-dwellers New York, Memphis, Orlando and Atlanta. "It's great, it feels good to get this win," Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters after beating the Knicks. "I think we can do a lot better job being more focused. ... It's not like we've won 10 in a row, but we can do a better job of being more focused. That's why we've got to go tomorrow and get better." The Grizzlies are losers of 17 straight and were trounced 114-80 on Saturday by a lottery-bound Dallas Mavericks squad. "It is in our mind every game," Memphis swingman Dillon Brooks told reporters of the losing streak. "We are trying to figure out what is working and try to keep progressing through that. But not a lot is clicking right now. We have to get back to the drawing board and we just got to clear our heads and go in next game energetic and act like we love the game."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE BUCKS (35-31): Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter against the Knicks and added 10 rebounds and five assists in another strong all-around effort. "One thing that's really important is never underestimate or undervalue the things that he does," Bucks coach Joe Prunty told reporters of Antetokounmpo. "Regardless of the numbers that he puts up, he does so many things on the floor to make himself, his teammates and his team better. ... We ask him to do a ton." Antetokounmpo got some help on Friday from shooting guard Khris Middleton, who scored 30 points after averaging 11.3 points in the three previous contests.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (18-48): Memphis is heaping new responsibilities on young players with the season a lost cause and veterans like Marc Gasol sitting out the second night of back-to-backs. "It is difficult because your role changes and it changes overnight," interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters of the shifting rotations. "There are more expectations on you, more things that you have to carry out, more assignments and those types of things. It is a difficult situation to be put in and it is a difficult load to carry." Gasol is expected to return on Monday but fellow veterans Tyreke Evans (ribs) and Mario Chalmers (hamstring) are day-to-day.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Grizzlies PF JaMychal Green recorded a double-double in seven of his last nine games.

2. Bucks PF John Henson recorded four blocks on Friday, doubling his total from the previous three games.

3. Antetokounmpo scored 27 points in Milwaukee's 110-103 home win over Memphis on Nov. 13.

PREDICTION: Bucks 112, Grizzlies 95