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Sixers Rival Bucks Get Another Shot to Clinch Playoffs on Tuesday

A Sixers rival could clinch a spot in the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday night.
Justin Grasso|
Sixers Rival Bucks Get Another Shot to Clinch Playoffs on Tuesday
Sixers Rival Bucks Get Another Shot to Clinch Playoffs on Tuesday

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Gong into their Monday night matchup against the Sacramento Kings, the Milwaukee Bucks had an opportunity to clinch a spot in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, potentially beating out the Philadelphia 76ers and the rest of the NBA to becoming the first team to punch their ticket to the postseason.

Milwaukee got the job done on their end with a victory over the Sacramento Kings. By taking down the Kings 133-124, Milwaukee checked one of two boxes.

Unfortunately, the Miami Heat’s success against the Utah Jazz prevented Milwaukee from clinching as early as Monday night.

However, when the Bucks return to the floor on Tuesday for the second night of a back-to-back, they’ll have an opportunity to become the first team to clinch their spot in the playoffs once again.

What’s the Scenario?

According to the NBA, a Milwaukee win on Tuesday night would get it done. In the event the Bucks don’t win against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, a New York Knicks’ loss could still help the Bucks clinch their spot.

When the Bucks and the Suns battled it out a couple of weeks ago, Milwaukee snagged a 104-101 win. They have formed a two-game win streak over the Suns. According to SI Sportsbook, the Bucks are small favorites over Phoenix on Tuesday, with the spread set at -1.5. 

As for the Knicks, they are going to play the Portland Trail Blazers on the road. Earlier this year, the Blazers found success over the Knicks in overtime, winning 132-129. Historically, Portland has had a lot of success over New York, holding a 70-50 record in the head-to-head battle, but there haven’t been consecutive wins for either team since the Knicks snapped a six-game Blazers win streak on January 1, 2020. 

Will the pattern of a split series continue on Tuesday? The Knicks are currently favored to win at -2.5. In the event the Blazers and the Bucks both lose on Tuesday, Milwaukee would have to continue waiting before they punch their ticket to the playoffs. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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