(UPDATE:  Easy baskets were hard to come by in last night’s Bucks-Bulls game, so Sebastian Pruiti of NBA Playbook takes a look at the play that swung the game in the Bucks favor.  A Brandon Jennings to Ersan Ilyasova fastbreak basket.)

It’s a celebration. Take it away Kanye (more accurately, some kid lip-syncing Kanye).

Now everyone can take a breath.  The worst case scenario cannot come to pass.  The Milwaukee Bucks are officially going to be in the playoffs.

It was fitting the Bucks clinched in a game filled with errant jumpers, ball-control, defense and anything else that’s unsexy about basketball.  After all, this is a team that’s second from the bottom of the league in field goal percentage, has turned the ball over the fifth fewest times and has the third highest defensive rating.  “Fear the Deer” has been the team’s calling card of late, but Tuesday’s victory was certainly more the “Work Hard, Play Hard” variety.

Certainly, sub-40% shooting (36.4% on the night for Milwaukee) efforts will not strike fear into the hearts of future Bucks opponents.  But right now Milwaukee is anything but a finished project heading into the playoffs.  As nice as it is to sit back and enjoy the clinch, Milwaukee still has a considerable amount of work ahead of them before April 17^th.  Near the top of that list is figuring out how the remaining pieces fit together.

Milwaukee tried out some different lineups Tuesday and they’ll likely do some mixing and matching again Wednesday.  The playoffs will not wait until the Bucks are comfortable in their new roles, so there is no time for Milwaukee to wait to figure out who’s going to need to do what. Read more…

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 42-34
vs.
Chicago Bulls (Vinny Del Negro) 37-39

Date: April 6, 2010
Time: 7:00 (CST)
TV: FS Wisconsin

Matchups

Point Guard
Brandon Jennings vs. Derrick Rose

Two of the best young point guards in the East go head-to-head once again, this time, with even more at stake.  The Bucks win and they clinch a playoff spot without having to back in.  The Bulls need all the wins they can get if they really want to make the playoffs.  Jennings and Rose will have the ball in their hands all night, leading the charges.  Jennings got the best of Rose the last time these teams met, most famously in the highlight above.  We could see some changes in the Bucks offense that results in a little more Jennings, especially with Kurt Thomas starting.  Thomas does his best work a few steps outside the paint, so in theory that should result in more operating room for Jennings on drives.  We’ll see how it all shakes out though.  Containing Rose is going to be a HUGE key for the Bucks.

Advantage: Bulls

Read more…

Four teams will be battling for three playoff spots in the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Looking at the remaining schedules, it appears if Miami can keep it together long enough, they have a good chance to make some noise come April.  With as soft a schedule as a team could ever ask for in the final month of the season, Miami will have ample room for upward mobility.  Of course, they lost to Minnesota last night, so take nothing for granted.  Their success largely depends on the health of Dwyane Wade. Wade missed Tuesday’s game in Minnesota, but will likely be back on Saturday for an important game with the Bucks.

Miami also has the most games remaining against the other three teams, with three games each.  The Bucks only have four such games left, but hold the series lead against all three teams and the Bucks currently have the best division record too. Those records may factor into whether or not the Bucks get in, so they have some meaning.

If two of the teams tie, the tiebreakers go as such:

1. Head to head records.  Whoever has won the series between the two teams gets to keep playing.

2. If they have tied the season series AND are in the same division, then division record takes precedence.  This applies to only the Bucks and Bulls.

3. After division it comes down to whichever team has a better record against teams in conference.

For more info about multiple team ties, head over to this playoff tiebreaker explanation.

In between referee whistles and defender complaints Andrew Bogut stood tall on Friday night in one of those efforts that makes you say, “Oh, I can see why this guy was a number one pick.”  Trading blows back and forth with Brad Miller like they were two aging prize-fighters, Bogut shook off a rough start to the second half to help the Bucks to victory.  Mentally, emotionally, physically, vocally, offensively, defensively, however you slice it, Bogut took the reigns (with some much-needed help from Michael Redd) in a VERY chippy fourth quarter to lead the Bucks to a much needed victory Friday night. Read more…

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 14 – 18

(Probable) Inactives: Joe Alexander and Dan Gadzuric

vs.

Chicago Bulls (Vinny Del-Negro) 14-19

(Probable) Inactives: Lindsey Hunter

Date: 1/8/2010

Time: 7:30 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Match-Ups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Derrick Rose

The last time these teams met, Jennings/Rose was hyped as a potential matchup of the league’s future at point guard.  Since then, Tyreke Evans has more or less made fans toss Jennings and Rose on the backburner.  Evans has shined as the Kings have outperformed expectations as Jennings and Rose have each struggled for teams that haven’t played well over the past month.  Rose has it going lately though, averaging nearly 25 points per game over the Bulls last five games, three of them wins.  He’s shot just a shade under 50 percent and is averaging six free throws per game.  He’s been attacking and the Bulls have had success.  The biggest change has been the free throw attempts; Rose was getting shots early this year, but wasn’t getting many easy baskets from the free throw line.  In November Rose shot just 32 free throws, compared with 72 in December.  The Bulls winning percentage in those respective months are reflective of it too: .385 and .467.  If the Bucks can keep Rose off the line, they’ll increase their odds of winning significantly.

Advantage: Bulls Read more…