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Three and a half games felt like a distant third place position for the Milwaukee Bucks heading into Sunday’s primetime contest with the first-place Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn and the Philadelphia 76ers are neck and neck heading into the regular season’s final two weeks. That being said, the top overall playoff seed is very much attainable, as Milwaukee will have eight games between today and May 16, thanks to two rescheduled games against the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls from the first half of the season.
The Bucks have already clinched a Central Division title for this year, but conference standings ultimately matter more, and the addition of the NBA’s play-in system for seeds 7-10 gives the top of the conference a slightly larger advantage than usual in the postseason. In the more immediate future, all eyes are going to be on Giannis Antetokounmpo, or more specifically, his sprained ankle. Although he did suit up on Sunday afternoon against the Brooklyn Nets, a smattering of injuries have started to impact the Bucks, and seemingly at the worst of times. Here’s what is in store for the Bucks as every game gets significantly more important.
Tuesday, May 4 vs. Brooklyn (6:30 p.m., TNT)
After a day of rest, the back half of arguably Milwaukee’s most important series for the remainder of the season takes place on Tuesday night. The second contest with the Brooklyn Nets in three days is the Bucks’ last game against one of their Conference title contenders, and the last chance for Milwaukee to make up a full game on the Nets. In many ways, this series could be considered a preview of the Eastern Conference championship series, and Milwaukee will look to come out of Tuesday’s game with a significantly lower gap to first place than before the Nets came to town.
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Wednesday, May 5 vs. Washington (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
Going from a three-team race at the top of the conference playoff positions to the bottom, the Bucks will play on consecutive nights for their final game of the year against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Wizards come into the week in the 10th seed in the East, and more than likely will find themselves in a play-in game to make the postseason. Washington’s battle for the last play-in game includes a strong Chicago Bulls team, as well as a fairly consistent Toronto Raptors squad. Normally, a battle for the 10 seed would be nonexistent, but every game matters for the Wizards now as much as the Bucks, so both teams will want to put another notch in the right direction in this mid-week contest.
Friday, May 7 vs. Houston (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
Last week Thursday, the Bucks dropped a 143-136 loss to the Houston Rockets in a stunning offensive display in regulation from both teams. Second-year shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr. put up a career-high 50 points in that game, which also saw Giannis Antetokounmpo leave with his ankle issue. The Rockets have nothing left to play for, other than their jobs at this point. Houston is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, sitting in last place in the Western Conference. While everything went wrong for Milwaukee against the Rockets on Thursday, it may motivate the Bucks to reclaim that lapse when they need it most.
