The Bucks won both meetings in the 2024-25 season and have won eight of the last nine regular-season contests against Sacramento.
The Sacramento Kings will visit the Milwaukee Bucks in an inter-conference battle this Saturday at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks have enjoyed a strong start to the season, while the Kings have won just one of their first five contests.
Here are five things to know ahead of tip-off (Saturday, 5 ET, League Pass).
- Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be available?: The Bucks didn’t have Antetokounmpo in Thursday’s win over the Warriors, and it’s uncertain whether the star forward will be available to face the Kings this Saturday. Having the star forward back in the lineup should provide a huge boost for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo is averaging 36.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s also shooting 69.5% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the arc, so his overall influence has been just too big for the Bucks to ignore when he’s not around.
- Domantas Sabonis finding rhythm for Sacramento: The Kings have gone 1-4 to start the season and are coming off a 126-113 loss to the Bulls on Wednesday. However, amid their early-season struggles, Sabonis‘ play has been trending in the right direction. The star big man, who missed the opener versus the Suns on Oct. 22, has started the last four games for Sacramento and has posted four straight double-doubles. Plus, the 18-point output in Wednesday’s loss was a season-high mark for him. He endured a slow start after suffering a hamstring injury late in the preseason, but the arrow is definitely pointing up for him.
- Milwaukee is making Fiserv Forum a fortress: The Bucks are looking like a tough team to beat at home, and the numbers back that up. Milwaukee has won its first three games at home this season while doing so by double-digit margins each time. This, though, is nothing new, as the Bucks also went 27-14 at home during the 2024-25 regular season. The Kings have dropped their three games away from home this season, so Milwaukee should feel confident about its chances of getting a good result here.
- Myles Turner turning a corner? Turner was the Bucks’ biggest acquisition during the offseason after signing a four-year, $107 million contract with Milwaukee. The big man needs to adjust to a new offensive scheme and also needs to learn how to play alongside Antetokounmpo. With early-season returns being promising, Turner seems to be turning a corner late. He posted his best game of the season in Thursday’s win over the Warriors with 17 points (7-for-12 FG), seven rebounds, three assists, three triples, one block and one turnover across 29 minutes. That scoring output was a season-high mark for Turner, who will add a whole new dimension to the Bucks’ halfcourt offense if he’s able to keep playing like this going forward.
- The Bucks have a clear edge in the head-to-head record against the Kings: When analyzing recent meetings between the two teams, it’s clear the Bucks have had the edge. They won both meetings in the 2024-25 season and have won eight of the last nine regular-season contests against Sacramento. The Kings haven’t won in Milwaukee since the 2015-16 season.
