With the NBA’s Christmas Day slate being revealed on Friday, a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers gives Milwaukee Bucks fans something to look forward to.
For the second year running, the Milwaukee Bucks will find themselves in action on Christmas Day in 2019.
The Bucks broke a lengthy, 41-year drought in terms of appearing on that marquee slate of games when they played the Knicks last season, and this year’s appearance will only further consolidate their spot at the NBA’s top table.
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The schedule emerged on Friday via reports from ESPN, tabbing the Bucks’ visit to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a jam-packed and enticing collection of games. Elsewhere, the Clippers and Lakers will go head to head, the Warriors and Rockets will continue their rivalry, the up-and-coming Pelicans and Nuggets will battle it out, and the champion Raptors will host the Boston Celtics.
Considering the state of the art Fiserv Forum represents one of the league’s crown jewels, Bucks fans have a right to feel a little aggrieved at the fact that the team’s wait for a home game on Christmas Day continues. Having said that, any disappointment in that regard should dissipate very quickly thanks to what the game does have in store.
In a slightly reworked Eastern Conference, the Bucks and 76ers will undoubtedly enter the new NBA season as the two clear and obvious frontrunners in the Eastern Conference.
Considering the Bucks held a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the 76ers season only came to an end in the Conference Semi-Finals with one of the all-time freak bounces of a ball, both teams will enter the new campaign reflecting on what could have been with the Toronto Raptors last season.
That will leave both Milwaukee and Philadelphia with a point to prove, but also as benefactors of vital top end playoff experience as they continue to mature as teams.
The Bucks prevailed as 2-1 victors in a thrilling season series against Philadelphia last season, but notable changes for both teams may represent something of a reset in terms of looking ahead to how those games will play out next year.
The loss of Malcolm Brogdon may represent one notable change for the Bucks, but for the most part Milwaukee should have the benefit of continuity starting the new campaign. On the other side of that coin, after an incredibly intriguing offseason, Philadelphia will be forced to integrate two new starters, Josh Richardson and Al Horford, in incredibly important roles.
The Sixers resemble a defensive juggernaut on paper, but just how far they can push the Bucks next season will largely depend on how their offense comes together.
A chance to watch that play out and learn more about the dynamics between the East’s two best teams will make for incredible viewing on Christmas Day, as should the fact that there’s already a clear edge established between the two teams.
Between Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s back and forth with Ben Simmons, Eric Bledsoe‘s ball-tossing ejection, and Joel Embiid‘s willingness to instigate at any given moment, Bucks/76ers has recaptured the sense of rivalry that existed between the franchises in the 80s.
That sense of competition should only grow even more intense over the course of next season, and with that in mind, the Christmas Day matchup will make for must-see TV.