Pre-game report: Another dynamic guard duo faces Bucks

Washington - On Wednesday it was Portland's Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum posing a huge challenge for the Bucks.

On Friday the Atlanta Hawks' Dennis Schroder went off for a career-high 33 points as his team rallied for a 70-point second half to edge Milwaukee.

Tonight? It's John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards' all-world backcourt.

Keeping a lid on those two will be pivotal to the Bucks' chances of bouncing back from the disappointing 114-110 loss to the Hawks on Friday.

"Our transition defense with Wall and those guys (is important)," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "We don't have time to think about last night.

"We've got to think about tonight, try to stay in front of him (Wall). Rebound the ball and execute the game plan."

Wall is averaging 23.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists while Beal is at 21.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists. The Wizards are just 8-13 but have been playing better recently, including a 92-85 victory over Denver in their last game.

"I think he's one of the best (passers)," Kidd said of the 26-year-old Wall, who last year was named to his third consecutive Eastern Conference all-star team. "At the speed he's being clocked at on the floor, he does it at a very high level.

"He finds guys in the corner. He makes it extremely easy for his teammates to play with him."

Washington is 8-9 this season when Wall and Beal are both in the starting lineup. Beal has averaged 26.3 points over the last 10 games and is shooting 47.1% from three-point range in that stretch. He has four 30-plus point games over those 10 games, including a career-high 42 points against Phoenix on Nov. 21.

"Golden State has a backcourt (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson), Toronto (DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry)," Kidd said. "When you talk about this backcourt, they'd be right up there.

"They put a lot of pressure on your defense. John is going past the speed limit. He puts a lot of pressure on with makes or misses. We've got to get back, and it's not just Delly (Matthew Dellavedova) or Malcolm (Brogdon)."

This is the first of three matchups with Washington in the month of December. The Bucks will host the Wizards on Dec. 23 and play them at the Verizon Center again on Dec. 26.

Foul woes: Kidd said Giannis Antetokounmpo knows he has to cut down on his fouling, particularly early in games.

Antetokounmpo was in foul trouble in both games the Bucks lost on their latest homestand, narrow defeats to San Antonio and Atlanta.

"We don't want to talk about it and make him become robotic," Kidd said. "We want him to naturally work through the process of staying away from the silly fouls.

"I think he's mature enough to understand what is a silly foul. But if we have to remind him, that's our job. He's got to stay on the floor, not on the bench."

Antetokounmpo played just 24 minutes against the Hawks and was hampered even in the time he played because of his mounting foul total.

"He's only 22 years old; he's got to work through it," Kidd said. "He has to understand where he stands with his fouls and what's acceptable and what's not."

Antetokounmpo had 14 points, six rebounds and one assist against the Hawks after posting a triple-double against Portland on Wednesday.