The Milwaukee Bucks just recently overtook the NBA’s best record thanks to their remarkable play during an impressive 14-game win streak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has stepped up his play to an even higher standard during the win streak, and even without him, the Bucks have not been beaten. Milwaukee finally has a healthy roster top to bottom and even more depth after the acquisition of wing Jae Crowder.
The Bucks haven’t lost since the return of Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis (knee) has already been productive in his first two games back. The rest of the regular season for this Bucks team should include a lot of wins, but they still have some dates to circle before they get ready for a deep playoff run. I am going to review the five toughest remaining regular season games for Milwaukee.
Saturday, March 4, Milwaukee Bucks @Philidelphia 76ers
The Bucks have split their season series with Philly, and a game like this will likely have a playoff-type atmosphere. The Bucks usually perform well against the 76ers, but a game on the road of this magnitude could end up being a battle.
Milwaukee opened up their season in Philidelphia and gutted out a tough 90-88 victory despite being without Khris Middleton and others. Keys to this upcoming road match will be maintaining the offensive rhythm we have built and what Brook Lopez can do to slow down Joel Embiid. Historically, Lopez has been very good defensively against the scoring big, but if Embiid starts to work the mid-range against Brook’s drop coverage, it could be a long night. These two squads will play one more time on April 2 in Milwaukee.
Tuesday, March 14, Milwaukee Bucks @ Phoenix Suns
Milwaukee will have a mid-March test against what many people consider the favorites to bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the Phoenix Suns.
The Bucks just picked up their 43rd win of the season at home vs Phoenix, but both superstars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, were unable to play in the contest. Durant will have some game time under his feet with his new squad before the Bucks and Suns play on the 14th. Milwaukee and Phoenix already have a history with each other after they met up in the 2021 NBA Finals. Milwaukee won the finals against that talented Suns squad, but now the Suns have Durant, and he adds so much versatility to the Suns already well-rounded lineup. This will be a potential NBA Finals matchup for the Bucks.
Saturday, March 25, Milwaukee Bucks @ Denver Nuggets
Milwaukee suits up for yet another battle on the road with MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. Denver has had control of the one seed in the western conference for quite some time and they are in the best position they have been to make a championship run in a while. The Bucks took care of the Nuggets in a late January match, but Denver was without almost all of their starters.
Beating the Bucks would cement the Nuggets’ status as a contender in the West, and this is a game Nuggets head coach Mike Malone will have circled on his calendar. If Milwaukee can try to speed up Denver in the half-court and use their advantages, they will have a good chance at coming out victorious. As of now, these two teams are both respectively first in their conference standings, so this will be a game to look forward to.
Thursday, March 30, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
Milwaukee will end the month of March playing against the team that knocked them out of last year’s playoffs, the Boston Celtics.
They will not be as shorthanded this time around as they hope to pick up a big win late in the season. At this rate, this game could end up being the sole factor in who takes the first seed in the East. As far as this regular season, Milwaukee was dismantled in these teams’ first meeting on Christmas day. Khris Middleton was unable to go for the game, which could have changed that game completely.
The second matchup between these two squads ended in an overtime victory for the Bucks. The Celtics were without Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Al Horford, so both these squads have been shorthanded when playing each other this year. This game will likely be the most important game of the season for both teams, so you would have to imagine the players will do whatever they can to play in the game. A win like this would be a huge confidence booster heading into the playoffs, considering Boston will be the biggest threat in the East for Milwaukee.
Friday, April 7, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Milwaukee and Memphis will play each other in the second last game of the regular season. It will be their second matchup this year. Memphis dismantled the bucks by 41 points earlier this year.
Depending on how the conference seeding plays out, this could be a playoff-type game before the playoffs. Both of these squads are in the top two in conference standings, so this game could be a deciding factor in seeding for these teams. Milwaukee will also be thirsty for revenge following their 41-point loss to Memphis this year. Getting a game as tense as this one to end the season for Milwaukee would be huge. The intensity of this game all depends on seeding implications and whether either one of these teams has clinched a seed, but the hope is that Memphis will come out with their entire roster and try for a season sweep against Milwaukee.
This will be a fun matchup for the Milwaukee Bucks to round out their regular season.