The last and only time the Bucks and Thunder faced each other this season was during the NBA Cup Finals. So, technically, the teams haven’t locked horns yet, as the NBA Cup Finals matchup doesn’t add up in the regular season. Moreover, a lot has changed since the NBA Cup. The Oklahoma City Thunder became the leader of the season, pushing down the Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the Bucks are far from the team that defeated Shai Gilgeous Alexander & Co. in the finals.

So, it’s safe to say that the Thunder can finally seek their revenge as they find the Bucks in a vulnerable spot. Giannis Antetokounmpo & Co. come into the Monday night game, riding on a 3-game losing streak. Ironically, both teams have an MVP-award favorite on their roster. Shai’s career-high 32.4 ppg season has come in handy for the side and the Thunder top the league.

Meanwhile, Giannis is also amidst a career-high 31.8 ppg and 12.8 rpg season but the team’s results don’t seem to reflect the same. One of the main reasons for the Wisconsin team’s recent slump is thin depth. Bobby Portis Jr., who is the second unit leader and a big, hasn’t played the last five games. The team has again listed him out for tonight’s game, citing personal reasons. Apart from him, the team has also listed Liam Robbins, another big, out with an ankle injury.

On the other hand, the Thunder also have a concerning injury update. After missing the last game against the Kings, Jalen Williams might again miss tonight’s game with a wrist injury.

Apart from him, here are the other injured players:

• Cason Wallace (Shoulder) – Questionable
• Alex Caruso (Ankle) – Questionable
• Chet Holmgren (Hip) – Out
• Nikola Topic (Knee) -Out

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. vs Bucks: Starting Lineup and Depth Chart

With the team’s second scoring leader absent, the Bucks have a fair chance to take down the league’s leader. Notably, in the Thunder’s latest loss against the Dubs, Coach Steve Kerr opted for a unique strategy to defeat them. The strategy was to let Shai score. Yes, the Dubs instead of adding a double defender on the superstar, the team let him score. Meanwhile, on the other end, the team completely strangled their offense.

The Oklahoma City Thunder

The Milwaukee Bucks

So, the Bucks have to use their full efforts on the defensive end stopping the Thunder while Giannis takes care of the offensive business. However, Doc Rivers recently pointed out the workload on Brook Lopez and the rest of the frontcourt due to the unavailability of a big man. Amid this situation, we might even see a trade coming up before the tip-off, considering how randomly the updates are popping up in the league. Who do you think will win tonight? Let us know in the comments.