Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks fall to the Magic 113-88; they will play the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs.
For the majority of the final month of the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks had the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they ended the season with a 2-6 record after falling to the Orlando Magic 113-88 on Sunday afternoon at the KIA Center.
The Bucks finished the regular season with a 49-33 record, and they will play the Indiana Pacers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs as the third seed. The Knicks’ overtime victory over the Bulls secured the No. 2 place for New York.
“It seems like Indiana has had our number all season,” stated Doc Rivers, head coach of the Bucks. “Good opponent, then. We have to play someone, and they’re not easy to play. They have certainly gained a lot of confidence from their excellent play against us. We’ll be really focused because we must.”
The Bucks and Pacers have not met since January 3, despite the Bucks’ 1-4 record against them this season.
“I feel good about it,” guard Damian Lillard of the Bucks stated of their matchup with Indiana. “I believe that everyone can defeat everyone in the playoffs, especially this season. That’s my true feelings regarding it. We’re glad we have home court advantage and that the team is one we know well. They like to play quickly, as we know. They receive a high point total. We are one of the few teams, together with them, that score more than 120. We simply need to be aware of their strengths, which we are well aware of, and work to undermine as many of those advantages as we can to make the game more difficult for them.”
But Cleveland blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter in seven minutes, falling short to Charlotte by ten points to finish 48-34 overall. Milwaukee received some assistance in securing that spot, though. Due to their loss, the Cavaliers were forced into the fourth seed.
With the victory, Orlando (47-35) secured the fifth spot and avoided the play-in round. With a victory over Atlanta, Indiana, led by native Oshkosh resident Tyrese Haliburton, secured the sixth spot. Boston long ago locked up the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
