Milwaukee Bucks: 5 game road swing poses massive challenge for Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have played four of their last five games at home in Fiserv Forum, and they have lost each one of them.

Following a crushing 113-98 loss to the New York Knicks Friday night, the Bucks have dropped to 4-5 on the season. Things might be more concerning if the team was entirely healthy, but the lone thing that is holding back panic is that this roster is far from healthy. So many key pieces have not been available in the early portion of the season due to various injuries, which has obviously made the Bucks a worse team. Still, even with the depleted personnel, this is a team that can win games with the players that are available. As they begin a five-game road trip today, the Bucks face a tall order in trying to find some consistency and get back on track.

An early look at the Milwaukee Bucks’ upcoming five-game road trip

Surprisingly, the Bucks have actually been far better on the road than they have been at home this season. They are a measly 1-4 in Milwaukee, but 3-1 on the road. This is strange, considering that this is the Bucks team that went 10-1 at Fiserv Forum during their title run. Injuries and matchups have certainly played into these two records, but the Bucks will look to keep their road momentum rolling over the next five games.

In this stretch, they will square off against five opponents that all have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs in the star-studded Eastern Conference. This list includes the Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks. That is undoubtedly a tough string of opponents for a team that is plagued with injuries and looking to find their stride after an incredibly rough stretch to begin the season. Yet, this team will look to overcome it all.

One big boost will be the return of starting point guard Jrue Holiday. The veteran returned to the lineup in Friday night’s tough defeat after battling through multiple issues, and although he was sluggish in that game, it was just his third game of that season. This road trip will give Holiday an opportunity to regain his footing after missing such an extended period of time to begin the year. With Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez both likely to remain on the sidelines, Holiday will be given the opportunity to step up and get back up to par.

With Lopez likely to remain out of the lineup with back soreness, the Bucks will have to continue to try and compensate for his absence. The Knicks manhandled the Bucks on the glass in Friday night’s showdown by winning the rebounding battle 59-37. They also won the battle down low by outscoring Milwaukee 54-28. With the team set to square off against players such as Joel Embiid, Al Horford, and Clint Capela, they will be put to the test in slowing down the opposing team’s bigs. Giannis Antetokounmpo will continue to get a hefty portion of the workload at center as he takes on a larger workload.

Be sure to catch the first game in this road stretch as the Bucks take on the Wizards tonight at 5:00 p.m. CST, where you can watch on Bally Sports Wisconsin.