The Milwaukee Bucks are arguably playing their best basketball of the season and are making a move to up the Eastern Conference standings. If the Bucks can secure a Top-10 spot in the Eastern Conference, can they make some noise?

Bucks Playing The Best Basketball Of The Season As They Make A Run At A Playoff Spot; Plus, Injury and Roster Moves

Milwaukee moved within one and one-half games of the conference’s final Play-In spot, following the Bucks’ 118-116 victory over Cleveland last night.  Kevin Porter Jr., who has stepped up his production post all-star break, led seven players in double-figures with 20 on 10 of 16 shooting. He also added eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

The victory was the Bucks’ second straight and eighth win in their last 10 games — their best stretch all season. The Bucks are now 26-31 on the season. They are also just four games behind eighth-place Miami with 25 contests to go.

Moreover, Milwaukkee has the fifth-best record in the league this month (8-3). A big reason for the Bucks’ recent success is their improvement on the offensive end. The Bucks rank seventh in offensive rating this month, shooting 49.4% from the field and making 15.4 threes at 39.8% from 3-point range. They have also defended pretty well, although 3-point defense and fouling have been issues.

Perhaps more significantly, the Bucks’ recent success has happened without Giannis Antetokounmpo.  The Bucks’ backcourt has led the way during this stretch, with Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, and Cam Thomas all averaging over 15 points and combining for nearly 59 points, 15 assists, and 13 rebounds. Jericho Sims, AJ Green, and Kyle Kuzma have also played well recently. The Bucks are now 11-16 without their star forward.

“I think the more that we’ve been working out together, getting some practice (and) some two-mans in, we’re just confident in those stretches,” Porter told Eric Nehm of The Athletic about him and Rollins starting and closing games together. “We gotta continue to do it. There’s nothing like game reps at the end of the day. It’s been a long season, so we’ve had those reps early on, but we were able to learn from those reps, also. So, I think that’s what you’re seeing a little bit of.”

When Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Return and Roster Move

Milwaukee has the ninth-easiest schedule remaining, with 14 of its remaining games at home. The Bucks have been slightly better at home and have handled opponents with a sub. 500 record –posting a 16-8 record with a +2.6 scoring margin.

While Milwaukee has been much better without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks will need the Greek Freak healthy if they have any hopes of making a playoff run. Antetokounmpo will miss his 14th straight game as he has already been ruled out against the New York Knicks due to his right calf injury. However, Doc Rivers said that Antekounmpo is close to returning.

“[Rivers] reiterated Antetokounmpo doesn’t need 5-on-5 work and is close based on the eye test,” Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Sentinel tweeted yesterday before the Bucks’ win over the Cavaliers.

Cormac Ryan Promoted

Earlier today, Milwaukee made a minor roster move. The Bucks filled their empty two-way contract by promoting Cormac Ryan, who had been playing well for their G-League squad, the Wisconsin Herd.

Ryan got his NBA shot due to his shooting ability and toughness. He also doesn’t make many mistakes and competes defensively.

Ryan went undrafted in 2024 out of North Carolina. Ryan has averaged 20.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 31.2 minutes over 29 games for the Herd this year. The 27-year-old forward, who poured in a season-high 34 points on Tuesday against the Windy City Bulls, has topped the 20-point mark 17 times while scoring in double-figures all 29 contests. He averages three triples a game while posting a slash line of 48.9/42.3/88.4. 

Ryan is eligible to be active for 13 NBA regular-season games. However, he will likely continue to spend most of his time with Herd. 

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