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Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks (April 14, 2024): 3 Things To Watch, Odds and Prediction

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Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks (April 14, 2024): 3 Things To Watch, Odds and Prediction


49-32. Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Wisconsin. 46-35. 1P. 89. April 14, 2024. Magic Bucks Matchup 04.14.24. 38. Magic by 5 (O/U 214)

WATCH MAGIC-BUCKS ON FUBO TV
FOLLOW LIVE:
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Tickets:
$32-$518 on StubHub
Season Series:
Magic 112, Bucks 97 in Orlando on Nov. 11; Bucks 118, Magic 114 in Milwaukee on Dec. 21; Bucks 117, Magic 99 in Milwaukee on April 10; Today in Orlando

Pace

Off. Rtg.

Def. Rtg.

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eFG%

O.Reb.%

TO%

FTR

Milwaukee

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100.6

117.9

115.0

56.9

25.6

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12.7

27.0

Orlando

97.4

112.8

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111.0

54.1

29.6

15.0

28.8

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Our Record: 52-29/39-42 ATS

Well, here we are. Game 82. The Orlando Magic’s hopes of avoiding the Play-In Tournament rest on whether they can win one more game.

That has been the case for most of this week and the Magic have been unable to deliver.

But here they are back home at the Kia Center with the chance to set everything right and punch their ticket, likely securing the 5-seed and a return matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks in the process.

The task will not be easy.

The Magic’s game against the Bucks is the only game on the Eastern Conference slate of games (every team is playing on this final day of the season) that features two teams fighting for postseason position. There is a lot of pressure in this game, just as there has been a lot of pressure on all three games of this road trip.

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The Bucks appear to be going after the 2-seed, even with the risk of drawing the Philadelphia 76ers or Miami Heat in the first round (although a win over the Magic would likely make it a choice of the Miami Heat or Magic based off Tuesday’s 7/8 Play-In Game).

There is a lot on the line for both teams. The question will be about which team comes out on top.

That is going to come down to nothing more than execution and who plays the best game. The Bucks have struggled mightily on the road this season, going just 18-21 on the road and losing seven of their last nine on the road.

The Magic are a significantly better team at the Kia Center. Orlando’s 28-12 record at home is the third-best in the Eastern Conference. If the Sixth Man can be a difference, it will be. The Magic just have to play well enough to take advantage of it.

38. Prediction. 108. 89. Magic Bucks Prediction 04.14.24. 115

Back to Basics of Your Defense

If there is one thing that has anchored the Orlando Magic throughout the season, it has been their defense. They said repeatedly they believed their defense would travel and help them in the Playoffs. They rank third in the league in defensive rating. It has been their backbone all year.

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Even with their inconsistent offense, their defense was so good that it gave them a chance to win and gave Paolo Banchero a chance to try to close it out.

That is what was missing on this road trip.

The Magic gave up 110-plus points in three straight games for the first time since early January (the double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings and then the pair of wins over the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks).

To say the least, the defense has taken an unexpected downturn at the worst time. The question is whether that is a matter of bad shooting luck combined with a tired team not bringing the right focus or even some bad matchups with 5-out offenses that can stretch the team.

Regardless, if the Magic want to win this game, it will start with their defense. That is this team’s identity. And getting that back under control will be the biggest key to this game. Orlando cannot win if the team does not defend better.

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Stepping Up and Filling In

The Milwaukee Bucks will be decidedly more healthy for Sunday’s finale than they were Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Khris Middleton will play after he sat out the second night of the Bucks’ home-home back-to-back on Wednesday. He scored 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting.

Damian Lillard will still soak up a lot of attention from the Magic’s defense. He sat out Friday’s game with a left adductor issue and is PROBABLE to play Sunday. He had 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting in the Bucks’ win on Wednesday.

The real difference though for the Bucks is who else will help fill in for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence. That answer became obvious quickly with Bobby Portis scoring 24 of his 30 points in the first half to break the Magic’s defense and shift the attention away from Lillard.

Portis came back with just 4 points on 2-for-7 shooting in Friday’s loss.

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The Bucks were happy to see Malik Beasley find his stroke for 17 points on 3-for-5 shooting from deep. But it is clear the Bucks are looking for consistency. They need one more major scorer to get them through these games.

That will be what Orlando has to be on guard for. The team will put a lot of pressure and attention on Lillard and they will do their best to limit his impact. But a lot of it comes down to whether someone makes the Magic pay for that attention. Portis did that on Wednesday.

On the road, that will be tougher to do. But the Magic will have to be ready to adjust if someone unexpected goes off.

Home/Road Difference

Franz Wagner was not particularly glum when he spoke to the media in Philadelphia after Friday’s loss.

Maybe that was a sign that the Orlando Magic were generally pleased with their effort and how they played in a most competitive game. Maybe that is a sign that this team has a ton of confidence at the Kia Center.

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The Magic have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at home with a 28-12 home record (that includes the loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Mexico City. The Magic’s offensive rating jumps from 112.8 to 115.4 at home and their defensive rating jumps from 111.0 points allowed per 100 possessions to 108.0.

The Bucks have the opposite problem. Milwaukee is 18-21 away from FiservForum with a 116.5/117.1 offensive/defensive rating split (they are 117.9/115.0 overall).

If the Magic feel they can take a major step forward and win this game it is that their defense is that much better at home and their offense can find some footing a gainst a defense that loses its focus away from home.

Next. Magic dream season 04.13.24. Orlando Magic’s 2024 season a dream despite final week nightmare. dark

That is not something to lean on, of course. This is a do-or-die game and the Bucks have far more experience playing under that pressure. But the Magic are looking for their home crowd to give them an energy boost. They will need it because it clearly helps them.





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Milwaukee, WI

Same name keeps coming up in mock drafts as possible Bucks selection

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Same name keeps coming up in mock drafts as possible Bucks selection


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  • The Milwaukee Bucks have the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, their first lottery selection in a decade.
  • Most post-lottery mock drafts project the Bucks will select Nate Ament, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward from Tennessee.
  • Analysts view Ament as a high-upside prospect with shotmaking potential, fitting for a team facing an uncertain future.
  • Other potential selections for the Bucks include Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. and Arizona guard Brayden Burries.

The Milwaukee Bucks know their placement in the 2026 NBA Draft, slotted No. 10 for their first lottery pick in a decade. Who are some of the possible selections at that spot when June 23 rolls around?

Check out what the first post-lottery wave of mock drafts has to say, most of them pointing to same prospect, that being Nate Ament of Tennessee, a 6-10 freshman small forward.

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Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee

From Spencer Woo of ESPN: “While Ament’s stock has slipped from an early top-five projection, he had productive stretches this season within a tricky team context and has room to help himself in workouts. Although scouts are split on whether he has star potential or projects better as a long-term supporting player, there is still plenty of intrigue around Ament in the lottery. As a tall skill player with shotmaking upside, Ament fits a player archetype that teams often love to swing on. As Milwaukee considers a post-Antetokounmpo future, a malleable upside swing such as Ament could be a fit.”

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports: “The Bucks should take a swing to jump-start their new era, whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo is part of it. Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-foot-10 don’t grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and he severely struggled during the tournament. Bucks general manager Jon Horst has never been afraid to take risks though. If Ament pans out, it could look like a stroke of genius.”

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports: “Ament had an up-and-down freshman season for the Vols – but the upside isn’t hard to spot. Less than a year ago, the 2025 McDonald’s All-American was considered a possible top-five pick. So getting Ament here would be nice for a Bucks franchise that seems on the verge of rebuilding after presumably trading Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.”

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The Ringer: “Barring some transactional magic, this could be Milwaukee’s best bite at the talent apple in the draft for a while. The Bucks don’t currently have control over a first-round pick until 2031. If Giannis Antetokounmpo decides it’s time to move on, this roster will be rudderless and talent-deprived. If Giannis decides not to move on, it’ll have a rudder but still won’t go anywhere. Less than ideal, but that makes this a ‘best player available’ scenario, or rather ‘best wager available.’ There are definitely more stable options in this range, but Ament’s higher possible outcomes justify this pick. Ament fell short of expectations this past season, and he slid from top-five consideration as a result, but the jumbo-sized, smooth-moving ball handler is still a worthy bet here. Handling the ball at 6-foot-10 is an intriguing enough skill to instill some belief that he could develop into a quality asset. And the Bucks can take the risk given their circumstances.

Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports: “Ament is a polarizing prospect with a wide range of outcomes on draft night. A late-blooming 6-foot-10 combo-forward who is fluid, has touch, and skill, he’s also inconsistent and needs to get stronger. While his freshman year was up and down, Ament’s overall arc has been linear, and there’s still glaring potential. That upside makes him a logical choice for a Milwaukee team that has a very uncertain future ahead of them.”

Brian Lewis of New York Post: “After the run on guards, taking an upside swing on a gifted developmental player here seems like a worthy gamble for a Bucks team that could be in full-on rebuild in a post-Giannis era.”

Two other names mentioned

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From Eric Nehm of The Athletic: “This was an incredibly difficult pick to make without knowing what the Bucks are going to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the 10-time All-Star forward remains in Milwaukee, it might make more sense to look at someone like Yaxel Lendeborg, who could make an impact right away and give the Bucks more size and skill. Instead, though, I went with Philon, who has a lot of offensive upside and could be protected on the defensive end by Ryan Rollins. Philon is an electrifying offensive player who shot 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3 while averaging 22 points, 3.5 rebounds and five assists per game last season.”

From Kurt Helin of NBC Sports: “The Bucks need all the backcourt help they can get, and Burries may not be flashy, but he does a lot of things well — he can play on and off the ball, can knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers but also attack closeouts, and he gets downhill off screens and has a midrange pull-up game.”



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Brad Paisley to perform at BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4

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Brad Paisley to perform at BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4


Brad Paisley (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Brad Paisley is scheduled to perform at the BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4.

Ticket information

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What we know:

The ticket pre-sale for Brad’s fan club members, Paisley Nation, begins on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 am. All tickets available at BradPaisley.com.

The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. 

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FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Packages vary but include premium seats, a guided backstage tour, VIP-exclusive gift item, early entry & more. VIP package contents vary depending on the selected offer. For more information, visit VIPnation.com.

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The Source: The information in this post was provided by Live Nation. 

 

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WSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com

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WSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com


Billionaire Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA club, is shown at Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, 2015. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday identified Edens as the victim of a billion-dollar extortion plot allegedly hatched by an ex-lover. File Photo by Andrew Gombert/EPA

May 10 (UPI) — Wes Edens, the billionaire co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and an owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, was the target of a billion-dollar extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated by an ex-lover, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

A spokesman for Edens, 64, confirmed to the newspaper that the financier is the unnamed alleged victim in a federal indictment brought against Changli “Sophia” Luo of New York City.

Edens, one of world’s most successful global investment management firm leaders with Fortress, has developed and owned businesses in real estate, transportation, infrastructure, health care, financial services, media and entertainment.

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He is also a high-profile sports team owner, including the Bucks and soccer club Aston Villa of the English Premier League. He is credited turning the Bucks from a perennial cellar dweller into a champion squad over a five-year span, culminating in the 2021 NBA championship.

But he also fell victim to a lurid alleged “sextortion” scheme, his spokesman confirmed to the WSJ, admitting the Edens is the unnamed “Victim 1” cited an indictment filed last year in Manhattan federal court against Luo.

The indictment reportedly accuses her of trying to extort Victim 1 of more than $1 billion by threatening to release videos and photos of them engaged in sex. Prosecutors alleged Luo also threatened to contact the victim’s family members and business partners in a threat to destroy his fortune if he did not pay up.

According to the indictment, Luo was arrested June 14 at JFK International Airport as she tried to board a flight to China, the New York Post reported.

“Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant,” his spokesman told the Journal. “Mr. Edens expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”

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