If the year ended on Sunday, we'd be riding into 2025 on immaculate vibes. Unfortunately, the scheduling gods decided to throw us a final obstacle before the quarter century arrives. (At least in the good ol' US of A. I'm told that at the time of writing, it's already Jan. 1 in the Christmas Islands).

The final obstacle, as it were, is a familiar foe: the ballboys of the Central Division, the Milwaukee Bucks. What the Bucks lack in likability, they make up for in self-importance. Even though we used them like a roll of Ultra Soft Charmin in our 11 meetings last year, the Bucks are coming off an NBA Cup Championship and beat us soundly in our only meeting this year. And before anyone accuses me of being too pejorative to our opponents, you should know I possess a deep fondness for Ultra Soft Charmin. It's really a compliment.

Anyway, before I start ranting about why Japanese toilet seats will make you a better person, let's get back to basketball. The Milwaukee Butts Bucks are having the same so-so season that every team in the East seems to be having. They currently sit at 16-14 (the same number of wins as the Pacers but three fewer losses).

Milwaukee is a solid, veteran team. For the season, they've paired a slightly above average offense with a slightly above average defense.

However, they have been experiencing an NBA Cup hangover and have lost three of their last five. I should point out that Giannis Antetokoumpo missed all five of those games with back spasms and/or a non-covid illness. Still, with the Pacers winning seven of their last ten games, let's hope that today's contest looks like two teams headed in the opposite directions.

Injuries

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 3:00 PM ET.

TV: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

See ya in the comments!

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