The Bucks will take a 7-0 record on the road to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. A victory would set a new team record for the best start to a season.
The 2022-23 version of the Bucks are the third in team history to start a season 7-0. The 1971-72 team and the 2018-19 Bucks also began the season with seven consecutive victories.
Will this year’s team win an eighth straight to start this season? Is a fast start a precursor to a successful season… meaning another NBA Finals appearance for the Bucks?
To answer these questions, here are eight stats you need to know about Bucks’ teams that started a season 7-0, and other NBA teams that have had undefeated starts to their season.
- Both the 1971-72 and 2018-19 Bucks lost their eighth game of the season after the 7-0 start. In both cases, these teams lost road games to the Boston Celtics. The 1971-72 lost to Boston 125-114, while the 2018-19 team lost 117-113 in Boston.
- Both the previous Bucks’ teams that started 7-0 ended the campaign with 60-win seasons (the 1971-72 team won 63 games, the 2018-19 team won 60 games).
- Both teams advanced to the conference finals but lost. The 71-72 team lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers; the 18-19 Bucks lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Toronto Raptors. Both the Lakers and Raptors won the title that season.
- The 1971-72 Bucks later that season had a 10-game winning streak. Their longest losing streak of the season was two games. The 2018-19 Bucks had another seven-game winning streak after their 7-0 start. Their longest losing streak was also only two games.
- The margin of victory for the 1971-72 Bucks during their 7-0 start was 22.6. The 2018-19 Bucks had a margin of victory of 15.6 in their first seven games. The 2022-23 Bucks had a margin of victory of 11.3 in their 7-0 start.
- This year’s Bucks benefitted from having six of their first seven games at home. The 2018-19 Bucks played five of their first seven games at home. The 1971-72 Bucks opened with four road games and three home contests.
- The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors hold the NBA record for most wins to start a season with 24. That team finished the season with a 73-9 record yet did not win the title. They lost in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavs.
- In NBA history, there have been 41 teams that started a season 7-0 (or better). Of those 41, 18 (44%) made it to the NBA Finals that season. Of the 18, 12 won the title.
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