Milwaukee Bucks playoff seed, bracket, Indiana Pacers as their first-round opponent, Eastern Conference standings, record and more
After an unpredictable and often frustrating regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
They'll play the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round, with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series Sunday at Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks controlled their own fate the last two games for the No. 2 seed. But they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and were demolished by a motivated Orlando Magic team, 113-88, on Sunday to continue a late-season slide.
And after the New York Knicks defeated the Chicago Bulls, 120-119, in overtime on Sunday the Bucks fell to the third seed.
It's been a rollercoaster year for the Bucks, who played without an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo the last three games after he suffered a left soleus strain last Tuesday.
First-year coach Adrian Griffin was fired after just 33 games when management didn't like the direction of the team despite the Bucks 30-13 at the time. Longtime NBA coach Doc Rivers was hired to get the team to reach its potential, but the Bucks are just 17-19 since he took over.
There have been some memorable wins in recent months, but inconsistent play and head-scratching losses — including three straight against three of the worst teams in the league last week — have often flummoxed outside observers throughout the season. And even though they're one of the top scoring teams in the NBA, the Bucks' porous defense continues to cast a shadow over them.
Will this be another early playoff exit for the Bucks following last year's stunning first-round loss or can they make a deep run in the Eastern Conference and return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2021?
Here's what to know about the 2024 NBA playoff picture, Eastern Conference standings, Bucks' regular-season record and the Pacers, the team's first-round opponent.
Milwaukee Bucks schedule
The Bucks' regular season is over. They ended the season as Central Division champions despite a late-season skid that saw them lose eight of their final 11 games.
Milwaukee Bucks record
The Bucks finished the 2023-24 season with a 49-33 record.
Eastern Conference standings
Celtics 64-18
Knicks 50-32
Bucks 49-33
Cavaliers 48-34
Magic 47-35
Pacers 47-35
76ers 47-35
Heat 46-36
Bulls 39-43
Hawks 36-46
Nets 32-50 (eliminated from playoff contention)
Raptors 25-57 (eliminated from playoff contention)
Hornets 20-61 (eliminated from playoff contention)
Wizards 15-67 (eliminated from playoff contention)
Pistons 14-67 (eliminated from playoff contention)
When do the NBA playoffs start?
The play-in tournament is from April 16-19 for teams in the 7-10 slots. The NBA playoffs with the eight-team brackets in each conference then begin April 20.
Did the Bucks make the playoffs?
Yes, the Bucks are in the playoffs for the eighth straight season.
What seed are the Bucks in the playoffs? Milwaukee Bucks NBA playoff scenarios, tiebreakers
The Bucks are the No. 3 seed.
It was simple for the Bucks. Win on Sunday over the Magic and they would have been the No. 2 seed. Losses by both the Knicks and Cavs would also secure the Bucks the No. 2 seed.
But the Bucks were blown out by a Magic team that was looking to maintain the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. And the Knicks topped the Bulls in overtime to pass the Bucks.
The Bucks had the tiebreaker with the Knicks so if both teams would have finished with the same record Milwaukee would have been the second seed.
Who will the Bucks face in the NBA playoffs?
The Bucks play the No. 6 Pacers in a best-of-seven first round playoff series.
The Bucks lost four of five games to the high-scoring Pacers this year and have had no answer for All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton.
New York Knicks seed
Led by All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks secured the No. 2 seed by winning five straight games to end the regular-season. This included a win over the Bucks last Sunday.
They'll play the winner of the play-in game between the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers and No. 8 Miami Heat in the first round.
Cleveland Cavaliers seed
Just as the losses added up for the Bucks over the last couple of weeks, the Cavs slumped down the stretch as well.
But after two home wins following an 0-3 West Coast road trip, the Cavaliers had a chance at the No. 2 seed with a win and losses by the Bucks and Knicks on Sunday.
But Cleveland lost to the Hornets, 120-110, an outcome that put them in the No. 4 seed. As the fourth seed, they'll play the fifth-seeded Magic in the first round of the playoffs.
Celtics are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, have home court advantage in NBA playoffs
The Celtics (64-18) have been in a class of their own this season and the road to the NBA championship goes through TD Garden in Boston.
They're the only team in the NBA that will finish with 60 wins.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. have been dominant all year and are nearly unbeatable at home (37-3). They appear to be on a mission to win the franchise's 18th NBA title after coming up short the last two years.
The Celtics lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals in seven games. And two years ago, they fell to the Golden State Warriors, 4-2, in the NBA Finals — the same year Boston beat the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Celtics are seeking their first NBA championship since the 2008 season when Rivers was on the sidelines and the "Big 3" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen led Boston to the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
How does the NBA play-in tournament work?
Teams 1-6 are guaranteed playoff spots. The teams that finish in the seventh and eighth slots play each other, with the winner earning the seventh seed.
Meanwhile, teams seeded ninth and 10th play each other in another game (that's going to be Chicago and Atlanta). The loser of that contest is eliminated, and its season is done. The winner plays the loser of the aforementioned 7-8 game. The winner of that third and final play-in game moves on to become the eighth seed to play No. 1 Boston in the first round, while the loser is eliminated.
Bucks playoff history
The NBA championship is the goal for the 2023-24 Milwaukee Bucks.
But a playoff berth wasn't always guaranteed for this franchise. In the 1990s, the Bucks missed the playoffs seven straight years, from 1992 through 1998. And from 2007 through 2012, they only had one postseason appearance.
Their playoff appearance in 2024 gives them eight straight postseason berths. It's their longest stretch since the Bucks advanced to the postseason 12 straight years, from 1980 through 1991. However, none of those years ended in an NBA title or NBA Finals appearance. The Celtics and 76ers were always better. The Bucks lost in the conference finals three times during that stretch.
Despite high expectations following their NBA championship in 2021, the Bucks haven't been back to that stage. They lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals two years ago, falling to the Celtics in seven games and then last year were ousted by the eighth-seeded Heat as the No. 1 seed.
The Bucks have made the playoffs in 35 of 56 seasons with two NBA championships.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks are No. 3 seed in 2024 NBA playoffs, to play Pacers; bracket
