The Miami Heat are set for an Eastern Conference clash with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. Here's what you need to know before tip-off in this battle.

The Milwaukee Bucks are currently on a four game winning streak after a dominant 123-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This puts them at a 24-17 record a

Cleared to play Thursday

The Milwaukee Bucks plane took off in New Orleans shortly after the city's airport re-opened on Thursday afternoon.

The Bucks had been stuck in New Orleans, where they had arrived Monday to prepare to face the Pelicans on Wednesday. That game got postponed after a historic winter storm Tuesday dumped about a foot of snow there, with many of the city’s roads remaining coated in ice a day later.

Damian Lillard had 29 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame their travel issues to beat the Miami Heat 125-96 on Thursday for their fifth straight victory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be the NBA’s most popular player – at least in terms of fan voting for the annual all-star game – as the Milwaukee Bucks superstar led all players in fan voting for the second straight year en route to his ninth consecutive all-star appearance.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic will headline the starting lineups for next month’s NBA All-Star Game, which will debut a new tournament format. Antetokounmpo,

This will be LeBron's 21st season as an All-Star Game starter. LaMelo Ball and Victor Wembanyama did not make the starters cut.