Milwaukee @ Brooklyn preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2018 ) Brooklyn 115, Milwaukee 129

The Milwaukee Bucks are thriving on both ends of the floor and entered Sunday enjoying their largest lead in the Eastern Conference this season. The streaking Bucks will try to make it four wins in a row to cap a five-game road trip when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

After clamping down on the Toronto Raptors in a 105-92 win Thursday night, Milwaukee scored 73 first-half points and made 17 3-pointers overall in a 131-115 victory at Washington on Saturday to open a two-game lead in the East. "As a team, I feel like we think about the game less," All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters after scoring 37 points versus the Wizards. "We just smile. We just have fun. And we know when the game starts at 7:30 or 7 o'clock, we're going to do whatever it takes to win. We don't try to overthink things." The Nets have lost two in a row for the first time since late-December after falling 102-89 at Orlando on Saturday. All-Star D'Angelo Russell scored 23 points but his fellow starters combined for 20 on 9-of-32 shooting.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), YES (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE BUCKS (38-13): Antetokounmpo was 17-for-17 from the foul line Saturday and Milwaukee hit all 24 of its attempts as the conference's best offensive team hit the 130-point mark for the eighth time. The effort came with point guard Eric Bledsoe sidelined with an Achilles strain, although his absence does not appear to be a long-term issue. "We'll see today and tomorrow," coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters of Bledsoe. "We play again on Monday. I think it's the right thing for Eric."

ABOUT THE NETS (28-26): The 89-point effort against the Magic was Brooklyn's worst since Dec. 28, and there seemed to be a rare lack of energy for a team that recently stormed through a 21-6 stretch. "We've got to freshen up a little bit," coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters after his team shot 36.3 percent. "I don't think we had great juice tonight, one through 12. We didn't have the pop we normally do. It happens. It's slippage, but this isn't the end of the world. I just wish we would have played better." Russell has scored at least 20 points in 13 of 16 games since missing the team's visit to Milwaukee on Dec. 29 in order to rest.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Antetokounmpo had one of his four triple-doubles this season with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the 129-115 win over the Nets earlier this season.

2. Brooklyn PF Ed Davis is averaging 12.2 rebounds in 21.6 minutes over his last five games.

3. The Nets have won nine in a row at home.

PREDICTION: Bucks 113, Nets 108