With just one week left in the regular season, the Bucks are in the midst of arguably their worst stretch in team history.
Losers of five of their past six, Milwaukee is coming off consecutive defeats to the Wizards (15-63), Grizzlies (27-50) and Raptors (24-53) — the latter who entered Friday’s game having lost 15 in a row.
After becoming the first team in the past 30 years to lose three straight games outright as double-digit favorites, the Bucks are officially in trouble, and Doc Rivers has two weeks — two! — to figure things out before Milwaukee’s first-round playoff game.
It starts Sunday against a Knicks team that has lost four of five and just received the crushing news that Julius Randle’s season is finished.
What was looking like a premier Sunday matchup just a few weeks ago has turned into a potential get-right spot for both struggling teams.
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Injuries haven’t helped the Bucks during this stretch. Though Damian Lillard (hip) returned from a three-game absence Friday against the Raptors, Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) and Patrick Beverley (ankle) both sat out.
There are two teams the Bucks will want no part of in the first round: Miami (a playoff bugaboo) and Philadelphia with a healthy Joel Embiid. As the current No. 2 seed, both are real possibilities for Milwaukee.
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Just two games separate seeds 2-5 in the East. Drop to No. 4 or 5, and the Bucks are staring at teams like the Magic or Knicks in Round 1.
This time of year, motivation and health are everything. The Bucks have neither heading into the final week of the regular season.
The play: Knicks, +1
