Bucks Zone

“Making the playoffs in this league is hard”- Coach Mike Budenholzer emphasizes the value of making the playoffs

Coach Mike Budenholzer wants the Milwaukee Bucks to realize that what they have just achieved is no easy feat.
Matthew Dugandzic|
“Making the playoffs in this league is hard”- Coach Mike Budenholzer emphasizes the value of making the playoffs
“Making the playoffs in this league is hard”- Coach Mike Budenholzer emphasizes the value of making the playoffs

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Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer has been in the NBA long enough to know the value of a team making it to the playoffs.

Don't take it for granted

And so when the Bucks officially clinched a playoff berth by virtue of a 116-104 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, earlier in this week, Budenholzer reminded the team not to take the achievement for granted.

"We just mentioned it in the coaches' locker room to appreciate this," Budenholzer said.

To put things in perspective, the NBA has 30 teams, and only 16 of them will make it to the playoffs.

For a team to make the playoffs, it has to go through a wringer, Budenholzer said.

"Making the playoffs in this league is hard. You should never take anything for granted," said Budenholzer, who is now in his 10th season as a head coach in the NBA.

Stay humble and keep working

Milwaukee is the first team to secure a playoff spot this season and the first to tally 50 wins. That is certainly not an easy task to achieve, considering the numerous injuries to their key players that they had to deal with.

"We just have a good balance on our team. At any given moment, somebody can explode," Jrue Holiday said of the success that Milwaukee is enjoying right now.

By defeating Phoenix, the Bucks also firmed up their hold of the number one spot in the Eastern Conference team standings as they increased their lead over the 48-22 Boston Celtics to two games.

As Budenholzer reminded the team to acknowledge the feat, Giannis Antetokounmpo was likewise quick to point out that the Bucks aren't going to lose sight of the ultimate goal.

"We are good. We are in a good place right now. We got to keep on learning, staying humble," Antetokounmpo said.

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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.