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NBA Play-In Tournament
The Milwaukee Bucks clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference last Wednesday night, which means that they’ll have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. They also secured the best record in the NBA, which means that in the event of an NBA Finals run, they would also have home court advantage in that series as well. Before any of that, though, they’ll have to find out who their opponents are this week, by watching the outcomes of the NBA’s play-in tournament for seeds 7-10 in each conference. The tournament concept originated in the bubble during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the league adapted it once they returned to regular play. The move allows the ninth and tenth finishing teams in the regular season, who otherwise would be eliminated, one more shot at the postseason. It also prevents teams from tanking games in order to potentially get a better draft pick.
Rather than a traditional four-team tournament, the play-in begins with the seven and eight seed in the conference playing on Tuesday night. The winner of that game goes into the playoffs as the seventh seed in the conference. The loser of that game plays again on Friday. Meanwhile, teams nine and ten play on Wednesday, with the winner of that game playing the loser of Tuesday’s game. On Friday, the two remaining teams compete for the final playoff spot. Milwaukee will face the team that wins Friday’s game as the eight seed.
By clinching the top seed in the East on Wednesday, the Bucks gave themselves extra time to rest their starters on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, and a nearly two-week break from a meaningful game until their first round series begins on April 15. As it stands, the Bucks could face the Miami Heat (7), Atlanta Hawks (8), Toronto Raptors (9), or Chicago Bulls (10) in the first round of the playoffs. Here is how Milwaukee fared against all four teams this season:
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Miami Heat
The Bucks split their season series with the Miami Heat, winning two games each. The two losses came on back-to-back nights in Miami on January 12 and 14, with a severely hampered Milwaukee lineup contributing to their losses. In the first contest alone, the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Grayson Allen, Joe Ingles, and Serge Ibaka. Many of those players returned the next night, but without Giannis, it was another tough showing for Milwaukee. That pair of the games was a turning point for the Bucks injury woes, however, and Milwaukee went on to win 18 of their next 19 games after that, including two return matchups with the Heat at Fiserv Forum.
Atlanta Hawks
The Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks became very familiar with one another at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, facing each other twice in the preseason in Abu Dhabi, and three times by November 15. The last meeting between the two was a 114-105 Bucks victory on January 11, in which they would also split the season series at two games apiece. Atlanta also handed the Bucks their first loss of the season on November 7, after Milwaukee started off the year with a nine-game win streak. While there has been a lot of time between meetings, a potential Bucks-Hawks series would have plenty of intensity, with their last postseason series being the 2021-22 Eastern Conference Finals, which the Bucks won in route to their NBA Championship.
Toronto Raptors
The Bucks and the Toronto Raptors met four times this year as well, but you can essentially throw out Sunday’s contest, as both teams already had known their playoff fate. Milwaukee won the previous three contests with the Raptors, including a 104-101 overtime thriller back on January 4. A slew of Bucks players have had impressive nights against Toronto this season, as opposed to Giannis dominating the stat lines like most nights in the regular season. Antetokounmpo led the way with a 30-point performance in the overtime game, but Jrue Holiday was the top scorer on January 17 with a then personal season-high 37 points. On March 19, Brook Lopez had 26 against Toronto, including 17 points in the fourth quarter alone. Milwaukee has had the Raptors’ number this season, and could very well benefit from a first-round matchup that would require two extra games for Toronto to even get there.
Chicago Bulls
A matchup with the tenth-seeded Chicago Bulls would have plenty of attraction to the national TV audience, considering the extra bit of tension that comes with a regional rivalry. In four games this year, Milwaukee and Chicago also split the series at two games each, with the Bucks winning the last meeting this past Wednesday to secure the top seed. Of the Bucks’ losses against Chicago this year, one was a 119-113 overtime defeat on December 28 in the United Center, with DeMar DeRozan racking up 42 points against Milwaukee. That game was the last of a four-game losing streak for Milwaukee, in their worst skid of the season. DeRozan, along with stars Zach LaVine and Patrick Beverly were on the injury list for Chicago to end the season, but those were likely more rest-related than anything. The Bulls also are without a big component in guard Lonzo Ball, who missed the end of the year due to a knee injury that required multiple surgeries. Milwaukee against Chicago in the first round of the playoffs would certainly draw a buzz, but it would be a tougher contest against a team that has been a thorn in Milwaukee’s side.
We’ll have to wait and see who the Bucks ultimately will face in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but with an extra week of rest, things look promising for the start of what could be another exciting playoff run.
