Photo via Twitter / Bucks
Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo
In the course of one week, the landscape of the NBA has changed entirely, and it’s one that favors the Milwaukee Bucks.
The league shifted dramatically with last week Thursday’s trade deadline, which saw major moves being made around the league, headlined by Brooklyn Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant being traded to Dallas and Phoenix respectively. The move takes both Durant and Irving out of the Eastern Conference, leaving Brooklyn’s big three completely disbanded following James Harden’s move to Philadelphia back in September. In the fallout of the massive trade between Brooklyn and Phoenix, the Bucks acquired forward Jae Crowder from the Nets in exchange for five second-round draft picks, bringing him back to Milwaukee alongside fellow Marquette alum Wesley Matthews. The Bucks also traded away George Hill, Jordan Nwora, and Serge Ibaka to the Indiana Pacers. When all was said and done, Crowder looks to be an addition to an already strong team, in a conference that now seems just a bit more favorable for the Bucks to win at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee is on a hot streak, winning their last 10 games after a three-game road trip wrapped up on Friday night with a 119-106 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. While Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis sat for Milwaukee due to injury, the Bucks broke the game open early, and a 35-point night from Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way to the win, as they pulled away from the Clippers late. The winning streak puts the Bucks just one game off of the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference, who the Bucks will face to lead off an exciting week. Here’s what is on tap.
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Tuesday, February 14 vs. Boston (6:30 p.m., TNT)
A week of nationally televised games for the Bucks starts with a scenario which is better than most scriptwriters could have asked for. The Bucks and Celtics will battle for the top spot in the Eastern Conference on Valentine’s Day, with Boston coming into Fiserv Forum on a three-game winning streak of their own. This is the second matchup for these teams in the 2022-23 season, and a rematch of the 2021-22 Eastern Conference semifinals. The last time these teams met, in Boston, they had the two best records in the NBA. That will be the case again, though Milwaukee will want to defend home court, and forget about the 139-118 loss that they suffered on Christmas Day. Given the moves that have transpired in the last week, this could very well be a preview of the 2022-23 Eastern Conference finals, in a must-see game on Tuesday at home.
Thursday, February 16 at Chicago (6:30 p.m., TNT)
Tuesday night is going to be a tough game for Milwaukee, but Thursday’s contest will feature a regional rival that is still figuring itself out in the Chicago Bulls. While the game will be in high demand (tickets are already priced at more than $65 each to get in the doors of the United Center,) the two teams are in very different situations. Milwaukee is currently hot, while the Bulls can’t seem to get out of the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, and are also afflicted by injuries to DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball, whom coach Billy Donovan said is “nowhere close to returning” as of this past weekend. The Bulls are fighting to stay in the playoff picture, but are certainly going to have their work cut out for them when the Bucks come to town.
