Milwaukee Bucks playoff scenarios, magic number, schedule, 2024 Eastern Conference standings, bracket, record and more
The Milwaukee Bucks are in the home stretch of a wild and unpredictable 2023-24 season as the NBA playoffs rapidly approach.
Led by another MVP-caliber year from Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star campaign from Damian Lillard, who joined the team just before the start of season in a blockbuster trade, the Bucks are in line for a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
However, it's been anything but a smooth ride.
It's been a rollercoaster season, one in which first-year coach Adrian Griffin was fired after just 33 games when management didn't like the trajectory of the team. In came Doc Rivers, who had just stepped away from coaching after being fired by the Philadelphia 76ers after last season.
There have been some memorable wins in recent months, but inconsistent play and head-scratching losses — Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards being one of the biggest — have often flummoxed outside observers throughout the season. And even though they're one of the top scoring teams in the NBA, its porous defense continues to cast a shadow over whether this team can win a title this year.
Will this be another early playoff exit for the Bucks following last year's stunning first-round loss or will they reach their potential and make a deep run in the Easern Conference and return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2021? The Bucks have just seven games left in the regular season, with their next five at Fiserv Forum before finishing on the road.
Here's what to know about the Milwaukee Bucks' schedule, Eastern Conference standings and playoff scenarios. This article will be updated until the end of the regular season:
Milwaukee Bucks schedule
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Milwaukee Bucks — 7 p.m. Wednesday (FOLLOW TONIGHT)
Toronto Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks — 7 p.m. Friday
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks — 6 p.m. Sunday
Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks —6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 9
Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks — 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — 7 p.m. Friday, April 12
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Orlando Magic — noon Sunday, April 14
Milwaukee Bucks record
The Bucks are 47-28 with just over a week-and-a-half left in the regular season. They're two games clear of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings for the No. 2 seed.
Eastern Conference standings
Celtics 59-16
Bucks 47-28
Cavaliers 45-30
Magic 44-31
Knicks 44-31
Pacers 43-33
Heat 42-33
76ers 41-35
Bulls 36-40
Hawks 35-40
Nets 29-47
Raptors 23-52 (eliminated from playoff contention)
Hornets 18-57 (eliminated from playoff contention)
Wizards 15-61 (eliminated from playoff contention)
Pistons 13-62 (eliminated from playoff contention)
When do the NBA playoffs begin? Schedule
The play-in tournament is from April 16-19 for teams in the 7-10 slots. The NBA playoffs with the eight-team brackets in each conference then begin April 20.
NBA playoff scenarios: What is the Bucks' magic number to avoid being in the play-in tournament?
Two.
The Bucks just need a combination of two wins or two Miami Heat losses to clinch no worse than the No. 6 seed. That seed is important since you avoid the play-in tournament.
Of course, the Bucks are aiming for much higher than a six seed. Despite losing three of their last four games, they still are seeded No. 2 with seven games to play.
And with five straight home games — the Bucks are 29-8 at Fiserv Forum this season — the Bucks are in the driver's seat for that seed.
Cleveland Cavaliers schedule
But if the Bucks continue their slide and the Cavaliers go on a run, Cleveland can catch them.
Here's the Cavaliers' schedule, which features three straight road games on the West Coast:
Cavaliers vs. Suns — 9 p.m. Wednesday
Cavaliers vs. Lakers — 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Cavaliers vs. Clippers — 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Grizzlies vs. Cavaliers — 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 10
Pacers vs. Cavaliers — 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 12
Hornets vs. Cavaliers — noon Sunday, April 14
Can the Bucks catch the Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference?
No. The Celtics have locked up the No. 1 seed.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. have been dominant all season, especially at home, and look poised to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The Celtics came up short last year to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Two years ago, the Celtics beat the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals on their way to the NBA Finals, before they lost to the Golden State Warriors, 4-2.
The Celtics are seeking their first NBA championship since the 2008 season when Rivers was on the sidelines and the "Big 3" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen led Boston to the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Who would the Bucks play if the first-round if the NBA playoffs began today?
That would depend on the results of the play-in tournament, but if the seeds hold, the team would be a very familiar one.
The Miami Heat.
The Heat, of course, is the team that sent the Bucks packing much earlier than they envisioned last year. Former Marquette star Jimmy Butler had his way with the Bucks in the shocking five-game series.
If the Bucks and Heat play again in the playoffs, it would be the fourth time in five seasons these two franchises would square off in the postseason.
How does the NBA play-in tournament work?
Teams 1-6 are guaranteed playoff spots. The teams that finish in the seventh and eighth slots play each other with the winner earning the seventh seed. Miami is currently in the seventh spot with the Philadelphia 76ers in the eighth position. The Heat would host the 76ers in that game.
Meanwhile, teams seeded 10th and 11th play each other in another game. The loser of that contest is eliminated and their season is done. The winner plays the loser of that 7-8 game. The winner moves on to become the eighth seed while the loser is eliminated.
Bucks playoff history
The NBA championship is the goal for the 2023-24 Milwaukee Bucks.
But a playoff berth wasn't always guaranteed for this franchise. In the 1990s, the Bucks missed the playoffs seven straight years, from 1992 through 1998. And from 2007 through 2012, they only had one postseason appearance.
Another playoff appearance in 2024 would give them eight straight postseason berths. This is already the longest playoff stretch since the Bucks advanced to the postseason 12 straight years, from 1980 through 1991. However, none of those years ended in an NBA title or NBA Finals appearance. The Celtics and 76ers were always better. The Bucks lost in the conference finals three times during that stretch.
Despite high expectations following their NBA championship in 2021, the Bucks haven't been back to that stage. They lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals two years ago, falling to the Celtics in seven games and then last year were ousted by the eighth-seeded Heat as the No. 1 seed.
The Bucks have made the playoffs in 35 of 56 seasons with two NBA championships.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Bucks NBA playoff scenarios, schedule, standings, record
