Bucks Playoff Fate Could Be Sealed Over Next 10 Game Stretch

Milwaukee is coming up to a critical stretch of games that could determine where they are seeded in the playoffs.

Mar 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a brutal loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. They lost after fouling Tyrese Haliburton on a made 3-point shot, which tied the game.

Haliburton made the free throw to give the Pacers the lead, and the Pacers held on to win. That loss moved the Bucks into a three-way tie for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Bucks are tied with the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons for that critical spot. Getting the fourth spot would give them home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

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Milwaukee is in a critical stretch of their schedule. They have a brutal ten-game stretch coming up, and that doesn't even count the Pacers game that they just played or the Cavs game that they lost.

In this stretch of games, they have to take on the Lakers twice, the Pacers again, Oklahoma City, the Knicks, Golden State, and the Nuggets. The only semi-easy games they have are against the Suns, the Hawks, and the Kings.

Depending on how they come out of this stretch of games, they could either be fourth or sixth in the standings. That gives them a wide variety of opponents they could face in the first round of the playoffs.

That also determines whether or not they get home-court advantage. Meanwhile, the two other teams fighting for that fourth spot have much easier schedules in the next couple of weeks.

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Indiana has a much easier stretch of games. In the same ten-game stretch, they get to play Brooklyn twice, the sliding Mavericks, the terrible Wizards, and the tanking 76ers.

Detroit has the easiest schedule of the three teams fighting for the fourth spot. They get to play Washington, Miami, New Orleans twice, Dallas, and San Antonio,

Whichever of these three teams can navigate their schedules, the best will come out on top for that critical fourth spot in the East. The Bucks are hoping that will be them.

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