Parker not expected to play against Nuggets Wednesday
The Milwaukee Bucks will likely be without second-year forward Jabari Parker when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Parker is working his way back from last season’s torn ACL and said he expects to be rested on the second night of a back-to-back.
Parker had eight points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes during a 99-83 loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft has been tentative while working off the rust and is averaging six points and 3.8 rebounds in four games and has attempted just one free throw.
Denver opened a three-game homestand with a 108-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday when it received season-best totals of 19 points and 13 rebounds from center J.J. Hickson. Small forward Danilo Gallinari averages a team-best 16.9 points but struggled to six points on 2-of-10 shooting against the Trail Blazers.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (4-4): Point guard Greivis Vasquez was acquired in the offseason to provide steady bench play, but has struggled mightily to produce. He scored 18 points in his club debut and it has been all downhill from there as he is averaging 6.1 points and shooting 23 percent from the field, including 4-of-29 from 3-point range. Vasquez missed all 10 of his shots in a recent contest against the Brooklyn Nets and coach Jason Kidd reduced his minutes to 19 versus Boston.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (3-4): Rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay has been thrown into the fire and is averaging 12.7 points and 5.6 assists through seven games. The seventh overall pick from The Congo has scored in double digits five times and had a 10-assist outing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 3 when he outplayed second overall pick D’Angelo Russell. “When I’m aggressive and not playing like a robot, good things happen for me and my teammates,” Mudiay said after scoring 18 points against Portland. “If we continue to play team basketball like that and everybody doing our job, we’re going to be fine.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bucks have lost in each of their last five visits to Denver and 10 of their past 12.
2. Milwaukee PG Michael Carter-Williams (ankle) will likely miss his fifth straight game.
3. Nuggets C Joffrey Lauvergne (back) has been ruled out of his fifth consecutive contest.
PREDICTION: Nuggets 107, Bucks 103
