Nets at Bucks
The Brooklyn Nets are still fighting to clinch their spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs as part of a four-team race for the last three positions and are trying to do so while battling the top teams in the league. The Nets will try to snap out of a slide and maintain a spot in the top eight when they visit the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
Brooklyn dropped four of its last five games - all against teams above it in the standings - and fell to the Bucks and the Toronto Raptors in the last two contests to go into play on Friday in seventh place in the East, a half-game clear of ninth-place Miami. "In a lot of ways, we control our own destiny," Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie told reporters. "This isn't a situation where, even if we win, we've still got to watch the scores and hope for this team or that team to lose. Our body of work has put us in a position to where, if we win games, we'll be fine." Milwaukee, which raced past Brooklyn 131-121 on Monday, clinched the best record in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the postseason with a 128-122 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday and could take its foot off the gas a bit over the last few games to make sure its players are healthy for the playoffs. "It's big for us," Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters after clinching on Thursday. "A lot of guys are missing right now - Niko (Mirotic) is missing, Malcolm (Brogdon) is missing, (Eric) Bledsoe didn't play. It's just good to know we have 12 guys, 13 guys, 15 guys that are able any given night to step up and help this team."
TV: 5 p.m. ET, NBATV, WWOR (Brooklyn), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE NETS (39-40): Brooklyn will play at Milwaukee, at Indiana and home against Miami in its last three games as it tries to earn its first trip to the postseason since 2015. "These are like playoff games, especially for us trying to get into it," veteran forward Jared Dudley told Newsday. "The level of intensity and focus and mental preparation for us has to go to a whole other level. This is good. This is what a young group wants, needs, and it takes a while. Yeah, there's pressure to get into the playoffs. This is a learning experience to see how we’re going to act. If we do well under pressure, we'll be in the playoffs. If not, it will be a learning experience for next year." All-Star point guard D'Angelo Russell is doing what he can to lead the team and averaged 28 points in the last three contests.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (59-20): Antetokounmpo has been battling an ankle injury but played 35 minutes at Philadelphia and finished with 45 points on 13-of-22 shooting, 13 rebounds, six assists and five blocks to further his case for NBA MVP. "That felt like a statement, especially what he does defensively with five blocks and 13 rebounds and changes the game," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "He's an MVP in our eyes. ... I think Giannis, that's kind of how he's built - to play against the best and compete and just lay it all on the line. A little something on the line for us with the No. 1 seed." Milwaukee finishes out with three at home against Brooklyn, Atlanta and Oklahoma City.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks PG George Hill is averaging 20 points over the last three games.
2. Dinwiddie is 0-of-15 from 3-point range over the last three contests.
3. Milwaukee averaged 124.3 points while taking the first three meetings this season.