Fresh off clinching a playoff berth, the Rockets (47-27) travel to Milwaukee to challenge the Bucks (55-19) on Tuesday night. Rockets guard James Harden and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo — the two leading candidates for this year's MVP award — will meet for the final time this season as the two superstars look to bolster their cases.
Harden may be the leader in the MVP race at the moment, but Antetokounmpo got the best of him when the two met earlier this season. Antetokounmpo went off for 27 points and a career-high 21 rebounds in Milwaukee's 116-109 win back in January. The Bucks hold a comfortable four-game lead for the No. 1 seed in the East with eight games left to play this season and are coming off a 22-point thrashing of Cleveland on Sunday. Antetokounmpo filled the stat sheet with 26 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks against the Cavs.
MORE: Watch Rockets vs. Bucks live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Despite the team success for the Bucks, however, some of Milwaukee's best players have become all too familiar with the team medical staff in the past few days. Pau Gasol was ruled out a for a month with an ankle injury on Friday. Nikola Mirotic is out two to four weeks with a fractured thumb, Malcolm Brogdon was ruled out six to eight weeks with a plantar fascia tear last weekend and Antetokounmpo missed two of the Bucks' past four games with an ankle injury.
Houston is one game ahead of Portland for third in the West and has won 14 of its last 16 games. Harden finally "cooled down" in Sunday's win over the Pelicans with 28 points. In his previous two games, "The Beard" exploded for 57 points against the Grizzlies and 61 points against the Spurs.
Harden is averaging 36.4 points this season and has scored 30 or more points against each of the 29 other teams in the NBA this season. Only four other players have ever averaged over 35.0 points per game for an entire season: Wilt Chamberlain (four times), Michael Jordan, Rick Barry and Kobe Bryant.
What time is Rockets vs. Bucks?
The Rockets play the Bucks on Tuesday, March 26 with tipoff set for 8 p.m. ET.
Rockets vs. Bucks TV channel, live stream
TNT will broadcast the game nationally. It can also be streamed live online with fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
Where is Rockets vs. Bucks being played?
The Bucks will host the Rockets inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The Bucks are tied with the Nuggets for the NBA's best home record (30-6). The Rockets have won seven of eight on the road.