Bucks Zone

A look at Milwaukee's possible opponent in the 1st round of playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks ended the regular season with an NBA-best 58-24 record.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

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Milwaukee Bucks

All 30 teams saw action on Sunday as 15 games marked the end of the 2022-2023 NBA season.

When the dust settled, the playoff rankings and those who will compete in the play-in tournament were formally determined.

As for the Milwaukee Bucks, they clinched the number one seed after ending the regular season with an NBA-best 58-24 record.

Wait and see

Milwaukee’s opponent in the first round of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference will not be determined until the end of the play-in.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks could face either the Miami Heat (7th seed), the Atlanta Hawks (8th seed), the Toronto Raptors (9th), or the Chicago Bulls (10th).

NBA format states that the No. 1 to No. 6 seeds will qualify for the playoffs outright, while the seventh to tenth seeds will have to go through the play-in tournament to move to the playoffs.

In the play-in, Miami will face Atlanta, with the winner advancing to the playoffs to face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics.

The loser in the Miami-Atlanta duel will then face the winner in the Toronto-Chicago play-in duel, with the victor moving on to face the Bucks in a best-of-seven series.

Regular season duels

How did the Bucks fare against those play-in participants in the regular season?

Milwaukee and Miami split their four-game regular season series 2-2. The Heat won the first two meetings, 108-102 and 111-95. The Bucks took the next two, 123-115 and 128-99.

The Bucks also split their season series with the Bulls, 2-2. Chicago triumphed in their first two meetings, 118-113 and 119-113. Milwaukee took the next two games, 112-100 and 105-92.

The Bucks also settled for a split in their season series with the Hawks. Milwaukee beat Atlanta in their first meeting, 123-115 before the Hawks won the next two, 117-98 and 121-106. The Bucks pulled off a series-tying 114-105 win in their fourth encounter.

Of the four teams, it was the Raptors that the Bucks dominated in the regular season, winning their four-game series 3-1. Milwaukee first scored a 104-101 overtime win and followed it up with 130-122 and 118-111 victories in their succeeding duels.

Toronto defeated the Bucks on Sunday, 121-105, in a game that saw Milwaukee rest their top guns with the playoff seat and the number one overall seed already in the bag. 

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.