🔥 Lakers Vs. Bucks Is Worthy Of The Hype

Giannis’ Bucks and LeBron’s Lakers, two very different teams, will meet on Thursday in what could be a preview of things to come. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: The Bucks and Lakers meet in a possible NBA Finals preview ... Cristiano Ronaldo makes every soccer fan’s jaw drop ... and Rockets vs. Clippers provides a perfect nightcap of top teams in the West. Ahead of the biggest and most significant of the NBA regular season’s blockbuster matchups, Giannis Antetokounmpo had plenty to say. True to form for basketball’s giant (yet infallibly humble) superstar, most of it was about other people. Before his Milwaukee Bucks take on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Fiserv Forum on Thursday, Antetokounmpo talked at length about LeBron James’ looming presence on the other side of the court, issuing a powerful (and amusing) tribute to a man he will soon be dueling. “For me, that’s one of my goals,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “To be able to play at a high level for the next 10 years. “But he’s about to turn 35 and he’s moving like that, playing like that, playing smart — it’s insane what he’s able to do. “But he’s LeBron James, you know. He’s different; he’s an alien, so you expect it from him.” Antetokounmpo and James are yet again duking it out for the league MVP award (or at least, it feels that way in the early portion of the season) and the Greek Freak wants much of what James has: personal accolades, championship rings, widespread acceptance as the best player of recent times. If he was a different personality, this would have been an ideal chance to throw down a verbal marker; to make it clear the challenge is accepted. But that’s just not him. On Thursday night he will attempt do his talking on the court, and he’ll do it with actions and buckets and rebounds, not words. Part of what makes the Lakers-Bucks battle so intriguing is the differing characteristics of each team’s star and of the franchises in general. Not a day goes past without the Lakers being at the center of national focus — even more so since Anthony Davis’ arrival turned the team into an overwhelming title favorite. [STORY IMAGE 1] The Bucks, meanwhile, are allowed to quietly go about their business ... but what a level of business it is. They are lapping the field in an Eastern Conference that is now far stronger and deeper than in previous years, and Antetokounmpo is locking in career highs in points (31.7 per game) and rebounds (12.8). For all their differences, the two parties go into Thursday’s dance with identical records of 24-4, with both on the kind of pace that makes 70 wins seem well within the realm of possibility. They’re even each coming off an uncharacteristic loss: the Lakers having been a shell of their usual selves in tumbling to defeat at the Indiana Pacers, while the Bucks came up short against a Dallas Mavericks team missing Luka Doncic. Other teams will have something to say about this, most notably the Los Angeles Clippers, but there is a sense for many that this is the closest thing we’re going to get to a potential NBA Finals preview. However, compared to the Lakers and the circus surrounding it, Antetokounmpo gets to live in a state of relative peace. While a 24-4 team can never duck under the radar entirely, the Bucks don’t operate in a vacuum where their every cough and nervous tic is scrutinized. The Lakers’ loss to Indiana, by comparison, did come under the microscope. On First Things First, [FS1’s Nick Wright insisted James’ free throw woes]( should be a real cause for concern. In Indianapolis, he shot 4-of-8 from the stripe and is 12-for-24 over his past four games. “The looming issue? The greatest player I have ever seen has a free throw problem that is real,” said Wright, “and he is in his head about it. This is, right now, a real thing for LeBron. He has no rhythm at the line, no confidence at the line, and no routine, which is critical to making free throws.” On the final offensive possession of the Pacers defeat, James opted to head back out to the three-point line to launch a potential game-winner, instead of making tracks for the basket with Los Angeles down two. [STORY IMAGE 2] According to FOX NBA analyst Chris Broussard, his performance in that game merited no better than a D+. “The standard is, I think he’s the best player in the world,” [Broussard said on]( [Undisputed](. “Without AD, you needed more than usual — that’s at least 26 points; he got 20. The thing that disappointed me the most: that second-to-last play, where he took the three.” In truth, the Lakers have set the bar impossibly high for themselves. Since Davis’ arrival they have been a true force and, at times, looked unbeatable. Primarily because of home court advantage, [FOX Bet]( doesn’t think they’re unstoppable on Thursday, making the Bucks 3.5-points favorites and at -167 on the money line. The Lakers can be backed as +140 underdogs, a position in which they don’t often find themselves. At the moment, three teams stand alone as betting favorites to win the NBA Finals. The Clippers are still out in front, at +300 to win it all, but the Lakers are close behind at +350, followed by the Bucks at +450. One game, one night won’t decide the outcome of the campaign. The NBA simply has too many games and too long a season for that. If you’re looking for single games that dictate the outcome of a season and have postseason ramifications, watch the NFL this weekend. However, the NBA, at this precise moment in time, has two teams who have elevated themselves from the pack, largely because each has a player capable of doing the same thing on an individual level. They could meet again in June, but for now, basketball’s two primary alphas get to flex their muscles. James and Antetokounmpo are two opposing characters who share a common desire for excellence — and who have surely had this date on their mind for a while. [STORY IMAGE 3] Here’s what others have said ... Malika Andrews, ESPN: “The Bucks rank near the top of the league in 3-pointers made, free throws attempted, rebounds, points scored, offensive rating and defensive rating — basically any way we measure team success. The question is now that their 18-game winning streak has been snapped, how will they bounce back? It has been a while since the Bucks dropped a game. Thursday will test their resilience.” Ben McDonnell, Fansided: “At this point in the season, ball security hasn’t become a problem that has severely hurt the Los Angeles Lakers, but in close games against top teams, it could be something that decides a game, or even a series. As of right now, the Lakers are 15th in the league in turnovers, averaging 15.2 a game. Sloppy passing and carelessness with the ball are giving teams extra chances on offense, and recently it has been a lot of extra chances. The Lakers are 13th in the league in points given up as a result of turnovers.” Gabe Zaldivar, Forbes: “There is no rest, it would seem, for the weary or the prolific. The Lakers are about to endure their toughest part of their schedule to date, playing the Pacers, Bucks, Nuggets and Clippers in the span of about a week. Then they finish off the month with the Blazers and Mavericks. The Lakers have gladly found success with Davis and LeBron dominating the offense. Whether that’s sustainable will get answered by New Year’s.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Abrams explains why [there’s really nothing Karl-Anthony Towns can’t do](. - James Brady and Christian D’Andrea run down [the seven biggest NFL Pro Bowl snubs]( for SB Nation. - [The Miami Heat are showing the NBA how to play positionless basketball](. Kevin O’Connor at The Ringer breaks down how the Heat are winning. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Mere hours before Lionel Messi and El Clásico kicked off, Juventus took on Sampdoria in Italy’s Serie A. And with all respect to this year’s Balon d’Or winner, this Cristiano Ronaldo header is all anyone will be talking about for the next few days. CR7 defied the laws of physics with his unbelievable hangtime to meet this cross and head in the go-ahead goal that made it 2-1 and proved to be the game-winner. You’ll be forgiven if you watch this on loop dozens of times and try to figure out how the heck Ronaldo managed to conceal a jetpack under his kit. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] No. 7 Maryland at Seton Hall (FS1, 7 p.m. ET) Could this finally be Maryland’s year? Things are looking promising in the early going. See how the Terps look on the court this season on FS1 Thursday night. Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks (TNT, 8 p.m. ET) Could this be a preview of the 2019-20 NBA Finals? LeBron James and company visit the home of the Greek Freak —reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers (TNT, 10:30 p.m. ET) Conference rivals clash in a battle of superstar tandems. James Harden and Russell Westbrook will go toe-to-toe with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. (Load management permitting.) [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers combined points over 224.5 and Lakers to win: +350 The Bucks are the money line favorites in the game, and both of these teams are more than capable of racking up the points. LeBron James, in particular, would seem to be especially motivated to turn out a big showing. If you would rather bet the under and think these two squads will put up 112 apiece or fewer, the odds on the score being under 224.5 and the Lakers to win are even better, at +360. [WHAT THEY SAID] “My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” — Hank Aaron [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download the FOX Sports app for live scores and streaming [App Store]( [Google Play]( Available on: [tvOS] [Roku] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] [tvOS] [Roku] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] Forwarded this message? [Sign up](. Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2019 FOX Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. FOX.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900