The Milwaukee Bucks are the second seed in the Eastern Conference with one game left on the season. Despite that, however, their position is not yet secured.
So how can Milwaukee finish with the second seed in the East?
Milwaukee Bucks’ Playoff Seeding Scenario
With a 49-32 record heading to the final game of the regular season on Sunday, the Bucks have complete control of their destiny. They simply need to win against the Orlando Magic to secure the no. 2 seed. That’s it. Plain and simple.
Losing, however, is where things get trickier. Should the Bucks lose, they could end up between the no. 2 to the no. 4 seed depending on how the other teams perform.
The Bucks are currently tied with the New York Knicks record-wise at 49-32, though Milwaukee is ahead by virtue of their head-to-head standings. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers are just a game behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co., but it’s worth noting that the two teams are 2-2 on the season and the Cavs have the tiebreaker because they have a better record in their division.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks
The New York Knicks get the no. 2 seed over the Milwaukee Bucks should they win their final game of the regular season against the Chicago Bulls, and the Cream City squad loses theirs.
As mentioned, the Bucks have the tiebreaker advantage because they have won their season series 3-2.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
As for the Cleveland Cavaliers, they will be able to jump over Doc Rivers’ men if they win against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday and the Milwaukee Bucks lose.
In the Central Division, the Cavs are 11-5, while the Bucks are at 10-7. Remember, Milwaukee lost to the Indiana Pacers in the In-Season Tournament, which counts in the division standings and now puts them at quite the disadvantage.
If all three teams win or lose their respective final games, the standing stays the same. The Bucks, however, will do themselves a big favor by winning. Should they lose and both the Knicks and Cavs win, New York will be the second seed, Cleveland will be the third seed and the Bucks will be the fourth seed.
Should both the Bucks and Knicks lose, Cleveland will climb to the no. 2 seed, Milwaukee will drop to the no. 3 seed and New York to the no. 4 seed.
It will definitely be interesting to see how things will pan out for the Bucks. But sure enough, the final game of the regular season will be intense.
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