Playoff watch: Bucks look to hold off Heat, move up in standings

The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to make the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time in 14 years. The Bucks are currently in extremely good position to make the postseason. While nothing's written in stone just yet, it's close to being carved in.

With the season ending in a few weeks (April 11), here's the latest look at Milwaukee's playoff chances and the week ahead.



IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY

Milwaukee would be in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed playing Boston, which would have home-court advantage. The Celtics are a bit banged up, with Kyrie Irving out with knee soreness, Marcus Smart out for perhaps the playoffs after having thumb surgery, key backup Daniel Thies out of the season as well as Gordon Hayward, who was hurt in the season opener.

 

STANDINGS

Toronto and Boston have clinched playoff spots. The next six teams are separated by 3 1/2 games. So there's still some juggling which could go on the final few weeks. One thing, however, that seems assured is the current top-eight teams will be in the playoffs. Detroit, which is No. 9, lost all three of its games last week and now sits 6 1/2 games behind current eighth seed Miami.

Here's the how the playoff race currently shapes up including games remaining (GR) for each team:

THIS WEEK

There's a lot of lottery teams on the schedule for East playoff contenders, but perhaps no one has it easier than Philadelphia. The 76ers have three home games, two of which are against non-playoff teams and the other vs. Minnesota, which has slumped since Jimmy Butler was injured. Philly's only road game is at Orlando.

There's also a lot of home cooking for teams ahead of the Bucks. Besides the 76ers, Indiana and Cleveland play three games at home while Washington goes on the road for just one of its three games.

 

Cleveland: Monday -- vs. Milwaukee; Wednesday -- vs. Toronto; Friday -- vs. Phoenix; Sunday -- at Brooklyn

Washington: Wednesday -- at San Antonio; Friday -- vs. Denver; Sunday -- vs. New York

Indiana: Monday -- vs. LA Lakers; Wednesday -- at New Orleans; Friday -- vs. LA Clippers; Sunday -- vs. Miami

Philadelphia: Monday -- vs. Charlotte; Wednesday -- vs. Memphis; Thursday -- at Orlando; Saturday -- vs. Minnesota

Milwaukee: Monday -- at Cleveland; Wednesday -- vs. LA Clippers; Friday -- at Chicago; Sunday -- vs. San Antonio

Miami: Monday -- vs. Denver; Wednesday -- vs. New York; Friday -- at Oklahoma City; Sunday -- at Indiana

Detroit: Monday -- at Sacramento; Tuesday -- at Phoenix; Thursday -- at Houston; Saturday -- vs. Chicago

 

THE BUCKS PERSPECTIVE

Milwaukee couldn't take full advantage last week of playing three non-playoff teams, although it did go 2-1 to move up from the eighth spot to No. 7. Still, the lead over Miami is precarious (one-half game) while Philadelphia, with an easier schedule, might be tough to catch despite being only 1 1/2 games ahead of the Bucks. Perhaps Indiana or Washington will falter down the stretch and can be caught.

The Bucks can of course help their own cause by winning games, but this week won't be as easy as last week, with three of the four teams Milwaukee plays being in playoff contention, starting Monday night in Cleveland, where the Bucks haven't won since Dec. 31, 2014 (in a game in which LeBron James was on the Cavs, but did not play).

This season, the Bucks are 1-2 against Cleveland. Milwaukee is also just 1-2 against Chicago, Friday's opponent, although the only win was on the road. The Bucks beat San Antonio in their only matchup this season (on the road) and have yet to play the Clippers, who they will face again next week.

 

PLAYOFF ODDS

The website playoffstatus.com currently calculates Milwaukee's playoff chances for each seed as the following:

3 - less than 1 percent (last week: 1 percent)

4 - 2 percent (last week: 3 percent)

5 - 4 percent (last week: 6 percent)

6 - 9 percent (last week: 11 percent)

7 - 25 percent (last week: 23 percent)

8 - 60 percent (last week: 54 percent)

Out - less than 1 percent (last week: 2 percent)