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Jrue Holiday
It all comes down to this week for the Milwaukee Bucks in terms of playoff seeding. With an instant classic overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, the Bucks punched their ticket to the playoffs, on the strength of 44 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo, making him the all-time leading scorer in Bucks history. In typical Giannis fashion, he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a game tying three-pointer in the final seconds of the matchup with the Nets, who went from last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals and NBA title favorite to the league’s play-in tournament this year. Even without the milestone, Thursday night was a thrilling game that could very well be a first round matchup in this playoffs, and would instantly be the talk of the league.
The questions remaining this week for Milwaukee are now which playoff seed they will hold, and who they will play in the first round of the postseason. Three of the four games on the Bucks’ schedule this week come against potential Eastern Conference playoff opponents, so while Milwaukee will want to preserve the team’s health to end the regular season, look for them to send some messages as they wrap up this phase of the year. Here is what is in store.
Tuesday, April 5 at Chicago (7 p.m., ESPN)
The week will certainly start on a high note, with the Bucks looking to sweep the season series against the Chicago Bulls on their home floor. All three of Milwaukee’s previous wins against the Bulls happened in this calendar year, as Chicago quickly descended from the top of the Eastern Conference to one of the last guaranteed playoff spots. The Bulls have won only four of their last 10 games, after losing guard Lonzo Ball. Chicago needs every game that they can get, but if they slip into the play-in games and Milwaukee retains one of the top two spots in the conference, these teams could meet again in round one of the playoffs. Look for the first half of this game to be particularly intense, and the halftime score will likely determine whether the Bucks want to focus on postseason health or closing out a potential first-round opponent on their home court.
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Thursday, April 7 vs. Boston, (7 p.m., TNT)
The Boston Celtics come to town on Thursday, and come into the week sitting just above the Bucks in terms of the standings. While they likely won’t see Milwaukee until later in the playoffs, should both teams advance, there is still some jostling to be done at the top of the Eastern Conference. The standings at gametime will likely determine each team’s strategy on Thursday, though Boston has defeated the Bucks twice already this year, including a 122-113 overtime win back in November. In both of the Celtics’ wins this year, Milwaukee has been without one of their big three, as Giannis was scratched for that overtime loss, and Khris Middleton was injured in a December meeting. Boston recently lost center Robert Williams III to a torn meniscus, and star forward Jason Tatum is listed as day-to-day down the stretch. Thursday will be a tough game, but there likely won’t be big implications for the start of the postseason here.
Friday, April 8 at Detroit (6 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The Bucks will head to Detroit on Friday night, who are mathematically eliminated from the 2022 playoffs. Even if Milwaukee is jostling to take the top of the conference, look for the reserves to get some substantial minutes here. The Pistons have the third-worst record in the NBA right now, and are guaranteed a draft lottery pick for next season, but have proven to be a tough young team. Detroit did take the last matchup with Milwaukee back in January, but the Bucks have won two of their three games with the Pistons this year. Injuries have ravaged Detroit’s lineup, with seven players currently dealing with issues, including future stars Hamidou Diallo and Jerami Grant, both of which are out the remainder of the season along with forward Chris Smith. The Bucks will need to utilize their bench in the playoffs, and they’ll likely get some warmup minutes on Friday night.
Sunday, April 10 at Cleveland (Time TBD, Bally Sports Wisconsin)
To close out the regular season, Milwaukee will head to Cleveland for what is likely to be a matinee matchup against the Cavaliers. The Cavs come into the week in a play-in game spot, sitting in the seventh seed in the East. Depending on what happens during the week, however, they may be in a position that these two teams could meet up in the first round of the playoffs, and Cleveland could be looking to play the spoiler if the standings come down to the final game of the year. Conversely, everything could be decided by Sunday, in which case Milwaukee’s bench would be taking over the majority of the minutes in Cleveland. The Bucks have lost two of their three games against the Cavaliers this season, though, including a December contest in which Milwaukee did not have any of their starting lineup available due to injuries and COVID-19 health and safety protocols. It could either be a very important game for Milwaukee, or an inconsequential one, all depending on what happens in the games during the week. In either case, the Bucks will likely want to head into the playoffs with a win.
