Bucks Zone

The Milwaukee Bucks stay in Top 5 of the latest NBA Power Rankings

The Bucks are on a two-game winning streak.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

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Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee was ranked fourth last week and kept the spot in the new rankings. The Bucks went 1-3 in a West Coast swing but bounced back from that unproductive road trip by scoring back-to-back wins at home.

The Bucks are currently second in the Eastern Conference with a 44-24 record. They have already matched their total losses last season, when they went 58-24.

Roller-coaster offensive showing

NBA writer John Schuhmann noted that the Bucks went 4-3 on a stretch of eight straight games against teams with winning records. In that stretch, Milwaukee’s offense was not as fluid as they’ve been outscored by 6.2 points per 100 possessions over the seven games that included two 35-point losses.

Milwaukee’s defense under coach Doc Rivers has also been inconsistent. The Bucks have allowed 119.8 points per 100 possessions over Rivers’ first six games, 103.3 allowed per 100 over the next 10, and 124.0 over the last six.

Crucial remaining games for Milwaukee

The Bucks are 12-10 under Rivers so far. With their current win totals, the Bucks are already assured of play-in.

The Bucks’ remaining assignment will include two games against the league-leading Boston Celtics. With an NBA-best 54-14 record, the Celtics are the first team to clinch a playoff spot.

Milwaukee and Boston already met twice this season. The Celtics won in their first encounter, 119-116, before the Bucks responded with an emphatic 135-102 victory.

The Bucks are off for two days and will return to action against the Celtics on Wednesday. 

Bucks' hunt for East's No. 2 spot bolstered with Donovan Mitchell’s looming indefinite absence for the Cavs

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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.