Apr 13, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Milwaukee Bucks power forward John Henson (31) blocks a shoot by Charlotte Bobcats small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) during the first half at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

It’s official: Heat vs. Bucks in the #1/#8 Eastern Conference First Round best-of-seven series.

By losing to the Charlotte Bobcats, the Bucks sealed their playoff fate, hopefully not in more ways than one.  The Bucks, though, may have done some things right in their 95-85 loss.

It still has to be disconcerting that J.J. Redick can’t connect on three-pointers (2-for-11) with any regularity, and that Milwaukee got pounded on the glass (52-36) by worst defensive rebounding team in the lead.  Worse, it’s hard to conceive of a team on a long losing streak winning four out of seven games with Miami.  But there were some meek bright spots.

The Bucks played with just three guards and still found some time to rest Monta Ellis.  He only played 31 minutes.  Ish Smith took over his leftover minutes in the rotation and received a valuable dose of game action.  He played reasonably well:  nine points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals.  He also gives the Bucks an extra dimension in terms of pressuring the ball handler on defense.  His six turnovers didn’t help the cause though.

Brandon Jennings, Larry Sanders, and Marquis Daniels missed the game with injuries, though Daniels dressed as a precaution.

John Henson started in place of Sanders and he too garnered valuable experience minutes.  Even more than Smith, Henson may be needed in the playoffs.  His length is one of the few aspects of the Bucks roster that the talented Heat may not be able to counter.  If Sanders gets into foul trouble — and this is a real possibility because 1) he be playing amped up defense in the playoffs and 2) the Heat are going to get their ‘fair’ share of whistles  – then Henson will be needed.  He grabbed 11 rebounds in the game, but there were moments when the Bobcats dominated the glass (see for example, the third quarter) and Henson couldn’t do much to help his team stem the tide.

This game was the fourth road game in five nights for the Bucks.  They had virtually nothing to play for, save for the shame of losing to the worst team in the league.  They were missing three starters, and Boylan wisely sat the other two in the fourth quarter.  On paper, it looks awful.  But now it’s time for the Bucks to regroup, put their core back together, and attack the last two regular season games as a playoff tuneup.

With a series against the defending champs at hand, and a four-game losing streak in tow, they will need it.

Apr 1, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson (9) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 131-102. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The worst team in the playoffs meets the worst team out of the playoffs.  Sometimes April basketball is uninspired phenomenon.

The Bucks scored a season-high 131 points in a victory over the Bobcats last week.  Milwaukee needs a win tonight with two tough games remaining: one at home against Denver and one on the road in Oklahoma City. They can’t enter the playoffs losing six straight overall and ten straight on the road, can they? Can they?

The biggest goal the Bucks need to set for themselves is finding a way to rest Monta Ellis a bit.  There’s an argument to be made about continuing to play him: his jump shot is ON compared to what it was a few months ago and sitting may disrupt his rhythm.  But there’s no need to play him 44 minutes as they did last night.

Ellis produced prolifically in his first stint as the starter at point guard: it was the Bucks’ first 25+ points, 15+ assist, 5+ steal game in over 25 years.

The problem, of course, is that the Bucks have only four guards.  With Jennings out, it was down to three: Monta, J.J. Redick, and Ish Smith.  That’s it.  Marquis Daniels can play guard in a pinch, but he may miss the game too. He is listed as questionable with lower leg pain. Expect Luc Mbah a Moute to start if Daniels sits out.

Expect fatigue:  this is the Bucks’ fourth road game in five nights. That’s a cruddy way to finish a season.

Projected Lineups

Bobcats: Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Josh McRoberts, Bismack Biyombo
Bucks: Monta Ellis, J.J. Redick, Luc Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova, John Henson

Injuries

Marquis Daniels (right lower leg pain): questionable
Larry Sanders (left hip pain): doubtful
Brandon Jennings (sore left Achilles’ tendon): doubtful

DeSagana Diop, Brendan Haywood, and Ramon Sessions are out for the Bobcats.

Some numbers

The Bobcats have the league’s worst defense and second worst offense.  Bioymbo gives them a semblance of a defensive presence inside, but Milwaukee thrived when he got in foul trouble early in their most recent meeting.  Look for them to attack inside early again using Ellis and John Henson.