Brooklyn and Milwaukee meet Friday at Fiserv Forum with both teams carrying long injury lists and little margin for error. The Nets are 20-60 and 13th in the Eastern Conference, while the Bucks are 31-49 and 11th, and Brooklyn leads the season series 2-1 after winning the last two meetings.
The Nets will be without Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Egor Demin, Terance Mann, Josh Minott, Michael Porter Jr., Drake Powell, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf.
Porter’s absence stands out because he has been one of Brooklyn’s most productive scorers, averaging 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Claxton also leaves a gap inside, with his 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game giving the Nets a rare two-way anchor.
Milwaukee’s report is shorter but still strips the Bucks of their biggest name. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise, while Pete Nance, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr. are also unavailable.
That matters because Giannis remains the engine of the Bucks offense, posting 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Without him, Milwaukee loses its most reliable paint pressure, transition force and late-clock bailout option.
The Bucks are also missing Portis, who has been a steady frontcourt scorer at 13.7 points per game, and Trent, whose shooting would normally stretch a defense.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, has to account for a Milwaukee team that was already beaten 96-90 by the Nets on April 7 and then lost again in its next outing, 137-111 to Detroit.
