- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 417,371
- Reaction score
- 43
The Milwaukee Bucks have clinched a playoff berth but there's more business at hand in the final week of the NBA regular season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (44-34) are looking to secure the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff standings ahead of the surprising Detroit Pistons, a team they've been jockeying with for that spot in recent weeks.
The Bucks’ magic number for the No. 5 seed is suddenly down to three after their recent four-game winning streak, coupled with the Detroit Pistons (43-36) losing four of five. That means any combination of Bucks wins or Pistons losses totaling three locks up the fifth spot for Milwaukee.
The Bucks are still mathematically alive for the fourth seed but those prospects are dwindling, with the Indiana Pacers (47-31) in control of that spot. The Pacers' magic number for that seed is down to two (any combination of Pacers wins or Bucks losses) with four games to play.
If the Bucks are the fifth seed and the Pacers end up in the fourth spot, the teams would meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year, with Indiana having home-court advantage.
Here's the latest on the Bucks' magic number, playoff scenarios, schedule and more:
The Bucks clinched a playoff berth — no worse than a No. 6 seed — on Saturday. But thanks to their recent winning streak and the Pistons stumbling a bit, the Bucks passed Detroit for the No. 5 seed.
And now, the Bucks have a magic number of three for that seed.
The Bucks could have the fifth seed locked up for the playoffs before the teams’ matchup Friday if they win their next two games (Tuesday vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves and Thursday vs. the New Orleans Pelicans) combined with a Pistons loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday.
The Bucks could also go 1-1 against the Timberwolves and Pelicans and set up a fifth-seed-clinching scenario on Friday vs. the Pistons in Detroit. A win for the Bucks over Detroit would then guarantee them having a better record than the Pistons with at least 46 wins (the most Detroit could have in this scenario is 45) and it would avoid any drama for the Bucks in the season finale two days later against the same Pistons in Milwaukee.
Or if the Bucks win their next two games, and the Pistons win Thursday, it would also set up a clinching situation for Milwaukee on Friday.
If the Bucks go 1-2 in their next three games and the Pistons win their next two, Sunday’s finale between the two teams would be for the fifth seed.
Milwaukee could also actually go 0-3 in its next three games and still have a chance at the fifth seed when it plays the Pistons on Sunday, but the Bucks would need Detroit to lose its Thursday game against the New York Knicks for this scenario to play out.
The Bucks enter their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night as the fifth seed. Here's a look at the complete Eastern and Western conference playoff bracket as of Tuesday, April 8.
Eastern Conference
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 play-in winner
(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
(2) Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 play-in winner
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 play-in winner
(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
(2) Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 play-in winner
Here are the Eastern Conference playoff standings as of Tuesday, April 8. All six have clinched playoff spots.
The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are the four play-in tournament teams. They'll compete for the seventh and eighth seeds next week.
Here's a look at the Bucks' remaining schedule (all times are CT).
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks magic number for playoff five seed: Standings, schedule, bracket
Continue reading...
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (44-34) are looking to secure the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff standings ahead of the surprising Detroit Pistons, a team they've been jockeying with for that spot in recent weeks.
The Bucks’ magic number for the No. 5 seed is suddenly down to three after their recent four-game winning streak, coupled with the Detroit Pistons (43-36) losing four of five. That means any combination of Bucks wins or Pistons losses totaling three locks up the fifth spot for Milwaukee.
The Bucks are still mathematically alive for the fourth seed but those prospects are dwindling, with the Indiana Pacers (47-31) in control of that spot. The Pacers' magic number for that seed is down to two (any combination of Pacers wins or Bucks losses) with four games to play.
If the Bucks are the fifth seed and the Pacers end up in the fourth spot, the teams would meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year, with Indiana having home-court advantage.
Here's the latest on the Bucks' magic number, playoff scenarios, schedule and more:
You must be registered for see images attach
Bucks' magic number
The Bucks clinched a playoff berth — no worse than a No. 6 seed — on Saturday. But thanks to their recent winning streak and the Pistons stumbling a bit, the Bucks passed Detroit for the No. 5 seed.
And now, the Bucks have a magic number of three for that seed.
The Bucks could have the fifth seed locked up for the playoffs before the teams’ matchup Friday if they win their next two games (Tuesday vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves and Thursday vs. the New Orleans Pelicans) combined with a Pistons loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday.
The Bucks could also go 1-1 against the Timberwolves and Pelicans and set up a fifth-seed-clinching scenario on Friday vs. the Pistons in Detroit. A win for the Bucks over Detroit would then guarantee them having a better record than the Pistons with at least 46 wins (the most Detroit could have in this scenario is 45) and it would avoid any drama for the Bucks in the season finale two days later against the same Pistons in Milwaukee.
Or if the Bucks win their next two games, and the Pistons win Thursday, it would also set up a clinching situation for Milwaukee on Friday.
If the Bucks go 1-2 in their next three games and the Pistons win their next two, Sunday’s finale between the two teams would be for the fifth seed.
Milwaukee could also actually go 0-3 in its next three games and still have a chance at the fifth seed when it plays the Pistons on Sunday, but the Bucks would need Detroit to lose its Thursday game against the New York Knicks for this scenario to play out.
NBA playoff bracket
The Bucks enter their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night as the fifth seed. Here's a look at the complete Eastern and Western conference playoff bracket as of Tuesday, April 8.
Eastern Conference
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 play-in winner
(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
(2) Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 play-in winner
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 play-in winner
(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
(2) Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 play-in winner
Milwaukee Bucks playoff standings
Here are the Eastern Conference playoff standings as of Tuesday, April 8. All six have clinched playoff spots.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 62-16
- Boston Celtics: 58-20
- New York Knicks: 50-28
- Indiana Pacers: 47-31
- Milwaukee Bucks: 44-34
- Detroit Pistons: 43-36
The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are the four play-in tournament teams. They'll compete for the seventh and eighth seeds next week.
Milwaukee Bucks schedule
Here's a look at the Bucks' remaining schedule (all times are CT).
- Tuesday, April 8: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 7 p.m., at Fiserv Forum
- Thursday, April 10: vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 7 p.m., at Fiserv Forum
- Friday, April 11: at Detroit Pistons, 6 p.m.
- Sunday, April 13: vs. Detroit Pistons, noon, at Fiserv Forum
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks magic number for playoff five seed: Standings, schedule, bracket
Continue reading...
