February will provide no shortage of tests for the Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled to find much consistency this season, having endured their share of both winning and losing streaks over the past few months. With a 32-21 record, they sit at fourth place in the current logjam that is the Eastern Conference standings, and remain within striking distance of the top overall spot, currently just 1.5 games back. The champs kicked off the new month with a win against the Washington Wizards, but they must now brace for what looks like a litmus test of games coming up in February.

The Milwaukee Bucks will face test after test throughout the month of February

Over Milwaukee’s next nine games, they will face the Portland Trail Blazers twice, the LA Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, the Indiana Pacers, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Charlotte Hornets. Aside from the Pacers, every team included is currently fighting for position in the playoffs or the play-in picture.

The Bucks will start things with an interesting four-game road trip to the West Coast. Following a four-day rest between games, the Bucks will take the court again versus the Blazers on Saturday. Milwaukee tends to play incredibly rusty with extended days off, so it will be compelling to see if they can come out more rejuvenated in this one. The matchup with the Clippers will not feature two key names as both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are sidelined, but they have proven to be a scrappy group regardless as they are in the postseason picture.

The following two games against the Lakers and Suns will be particularly interesting. While there is some uncertainty surrounding LeBron James’ availability for the matchup as he deals with knee soreness, this matchup will have plenty of household names between Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Russell Westbrook, and Khris Middleton. It seems like the February matchup that everyone is most excited for is the upcoming NBA Finals rematch with the Suns, which will be the first meeting between these two teams since last July. Circle that one on the calenders for sure.

After that tough road swing, the Bucks will close out February with five consecutive home games, primarily against fellow Eastern Conference foes. Following a rematch with the Blazers, the Bucks will take on the Pacers, 76ers, Nets, and Hornets. All of the games in the stretch will be pivotal as the defending champs look to bolster their stock in the standings. Sitting less than two games back of first place, a few wins in this stretch could go a long way.

According to Tankathon, the Bucks have the hardest schedule remaining in the NBA, and a large reason for that would be the month of February. This stretch will reveal quite a bit about them, as they have been so hot and cold this season thus far. Thankfully, the Bucks tend to turn things up a notch when they are nationally televised or facing a formidable opponent, and there are plenty of teams that fit that description over the next few weeks. Hopefully they can knock off as many as possible and climb in the East rankings simultaneously.

Keep an eye on the Bucks throughout February.