Bucks officially out
The Milwaukee Bucks have been eliminated from playoff contention, and Doc Rivers publicly blamed injuries for the collapse. (sports.yahoo.com) That exit reshapes the East scramble and play‑in dynamics in the final weeks. (sports.yahoo.com)
Milwaukee’s season-clinching loss came at home to the San Antonio Spurs, a 127–95 defeat on March 28 that snapped Milwaukee’s competitiveness in the game and extended San Antonio’s winning streak to eight games; Victor Wembanyama posted 23 points and 15 rebounds in the victory. (espn.com) Giannis Antetokounmpo has appeared in just 36 games this season and sat out his sixth straight game with a left-knee hyperextension and accompanying bone bruise, a medical absence repeatedly cited by the club. (espn.com) Saturday’s result dropped the Bucks to 29–44 and into 11th place in the Eastern Conference, officially ending a nine-year run of playoff appearances and terminating what had been the NBA’s second-longest active postseason streak. (foxsports.com) After the game Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo “is progressing, he’s just not healthy” and publicly defended the team amid outside criticism from the NBPA about the star’s availability. (newsbreak.com) Milwaukee’s elimination leaves the current East play‑in alignment intact with the 7‑seed 76ers (41–33), 8‑seed Magic (39–34), 9‑seed Heat (39–35) and 10‑seed Hornets (39–35), and the SoFi Play‑In Tournament is scheduled for April 14–17 ahead of the April 18 playoff start. (nba.com) With no postseason berth, the Bucks will finish the regular season outside the play‑offs and be eligible for the NBA draft lottery, their first trip to lottery territory since missing the 2015–16 postseason. (nationaltoday.com)
