The Milwaukee Bucks will play the Boston Celtics tonight (Thursday) in the place where the Bucks won their only N-B-A title in 1971. It’s the “Return to the MECCA” game, part of an ongoing celebration of the Bucks’ 50th season. MECCA was an acronym for the Milwaukee Exposition/Convention Center and Arena — and the Bucks played their first 20 seasons in that building before moving across the street to the BMO Harris Bradley Center in 1988. It had Robert Indiana’s original yellow floor design with a large “M” covering all corners of it, and the Bucks will play on a replica of that floor in front of eleven-thousand fans, almost eight-thousand fewer than what the Bradley Center holds. Giannis Antetokounmpo says the MECCA floor represents a lot of history because of the Bucks’ legends that played on it — like Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.
Bucks’ starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon could play tonight (Thursday) against the Celtics as he comes off a sprained left ankle from last week. He appeared to have a solid practice Wednesday, moving the ankle normally and putting his full weight on it. Brogdon, the reigning N-B-A rookie of the year, sat out Monday night’s win against Charlotte. Coach Jason Kidd says he’ll find out how Brogdon feels — and he hopes he’ll be ready to play against the Celtics. The Bucks are playing Boston for a second time in the young season, after winning by eight points in Massachusetts on October 18th.
