With the Milwaukee Bucks’ relentless winning showing no signs of slowing, they may be set to join a very elite club with their record at the All-Star break.
At this point, it’s likely not all that surprising to anyone to find out that the Milwaukee Bucks are on a collision course with the record books.
With a record of 40-6, and an eight-and-a-half game lead over the second placed team in their own conference, the Bucks have very much been in a league of their own up until this point in the season.
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It’s entirely possible that the Bucks could officially clinch a playoff spot ahead of the All-Star break, and for a franchise that spent the best part of two decade simply striving to get to 41 wins and a .500 season, a win on Tuesday against the Wizards would seal that as their bare minimum before this season even crosses over into February.
With the All-Star break fast approaching, the scale of Milwaukee’s achievements may only become all the more apparent too.
With eight games remaining until Giannis Antetokounmpo heads to Chicago to take his place as an All-Star team captain once again, the Bucks have an opportunity to achieve the kind of record that will see them paired with some of the all-time greats up until that landmark in every NBA season.
If the Bucks can win out through to the break, a feat that would most notably require them to beat the 76ers, Nuggets, and Pacers, and bring their current win streak to 16 overall, they would tie the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors all-time win total of 48 at the break.
The recent changes to the schedule, such as starting earlier to build in more rest, mean Milwaukee will have played two more games than Golden State did on that occasion, but that would still place the Bucks with an astonishing win percentage.
A potential 48-6 record would amount to a .888 win percentage for the Bucks. Aside from the Warriors, only the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers have managed to enter the break with a winning percentage above .900, but the Bucks could slot into the top-5 alongside the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, and the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.
Of course, of that group, only the Warriors didn’t go on to win a championship. Even stopping them took a historic 3-1 comeback and a heroic effort from one of the game’s all-time greats, though.
It’s possible that the Bucks will lose a game or two over their next eight, and fall below the marks required to truly etch their name into the history books, but the fact that we’re having these kind of conversations this deep into the season speaks volumes about just how special this Bucks squad is.
Wherever the Bucks stand when the All-Star break arrives, it will give them a chance to catch their breath and prepare for a monumental opportunity to win it all in the months ahead.