There's just no telling who will occupy the four, five and six seeds in the Eastern Conference when the regular season concludes, with the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons all in the mix.
Currently, Indiana (45-31) holds the four spot and has a solid lead over Milwaukee (42-24) and Detroit, who are both three games back with the same record. After taking care of business vs. the 76ers, the Bucks moved to fifth, pushing Detroit down to six. These standings can shift over the final six regular reason games, but the Milwaukee Bucks do have one advantage over their two opponents.
The Milwaukee Bucks' have a favorable strength of schedule
Per Tankathon, the Milwaukee Bucks have the 23rd-hardest schedule left in the NBA after their win in Philadelphia on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Detroit ranks 15th, and Indiana sits 17th.
Now, it must be said that no game in the NBA is a "gimme." The Milwaukee Bucks have lost plenty of games this year when the opponent was severely undermanned or below them in the record column. However, at least in terms of numbers, Milwaukee has an advantage over their Central Division foes for the final six regular season games.
Detroit's most difficult matchups are dates with the New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies and Bucks on two separate occasions. Meanwhile, the Pacers will face Cleveland, who boasts the best record in the Eastern Conference, two times and the Denver Nuggets, led by thee-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic. Milwaukee's "toughest" opponent left on the schedule, based on record, is Minnesota.
The two games between Milwaukee and Detroit, set to be the final two games of the regular season, could be the ultimate difference-maker in this race. If the Bucks win, not only could they stomp down Detroit further, but they could also gain ground on Indiana. Of course, this could also go the opposite direction if the Pistons come out victorious.
The Milwaukee Bucks need help from teams like Cleveland and Denver, but home court advantage in the first round is certainly not out of reach. Home court isn't the end all be all, but it would certainly be nice to open the NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum, potentially with Damian Lillard back on the floor as he works his way through a blood clot.
Back-to-back wins have given the Milwaukee Bucks a needed jolt, and it could be what they need to finish the regular season strong.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.