The Milwaukee Bucks had an interesting weekend…
It started with welcoming in Joel Embiid and old friend, James Harden on Saturday which resulted, in my opinion as the most frustrating loss of the season.
Up 14, heading into the fourth quarter, the Bucks would go on to allow a season-high 48 points to lose by a single possession of three points to snap their 16-game winning streak.
It was a quick turnaround for the Deer, as they sailed off right after the tough loss to take on the playoff-hopeful Washington Wizards that resulted in a close, nail-biting fourth quarter finish that resulted in a win, marking their 46th on the season.
Long-story short, a win and a loss in close games which got me thinking as the 2023 NBA playoffs are just weeks away – How good are the Bucks in close games?
According to NBA.com, the Milwaukee Bucks currently rank number one in the entire league in clutch performances, which calculates “minutes when the scoring margin is within 5 point with five or fewer minutes remaining in a game.”
As it sits right now, the Milwaukee Bucks are 24-7 in this metric. The Boston Celtics come in second and the Philadelphia 76ers come in fifth.
Again, long-story short – This is exactly where you want the Milwaukee Bucks to be as the season gets very serious, very soon.
The Bucks are the best when it comes to crunch time, which really bodes well for the playoffs that will likely result in many close games, and will without a doubt, result in facing one of, or maybe both teams mentioned above.
You can always give love to Giannis, Khris and Jrue when it comes to winning at the end of games, absolutely.
But, also, credit Mike Budenholzer.
As much as he gets critiqued for his lineups at times, he’s the one coach I’ll take over all the others when it comes to crunch time in the playoffs, as the Bucks looks to plan their second parade in three years.
