After a difficult stretch vs. playoff teams, the Bucks aiming to feast on weaker foes

The Milwaukee Bucks have had a rough go of it since the all-star break. An expectedly difficult eight-game stretch that included seven playoff teams started on a high note with a win over the East-leading Toronto Raptors.

Since then, though, the Bucks have lost six of seven. They've dug themselves into deep holes, usually finding a way out just in time to see a close game slip away, dropping them further down the Eastern Conference standings all the way to eighth, which is where they stood entering Thursday night's games. 

It's been a frustrating stretch to be sure, but that's not the attitude that permeated Milwaukee's practice Thursday at their downtown Sports Science Center.

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“One of the points coach had today is we didn’t get worse," all-star Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "We’ve been playing great defense, we’ve been moving the ball real well, but we’ve still got to get better. Especially the games after the all-star break it was a tough stretch, but mentally we still have the same mindset. Just got to get better every day."

Antetokounmpo went on to emphasize that getting better is the best thing the team can do. Sometimes you can win games despite playing terribly, which may not help in the long run.

Of course, the ideal situation is to get better while winning, which is something the Bucks are going to have to start doing posthaste. Following their demanding schedule out of the break, the Bucks embark on a four-game stretch in which they'll face four of the bottom nine teams in the NBA.

Those games begin at 7 p.m. Friday when the New York Knicks make their final visit to the BMO Harris Bradley Center. New York has lost 13 of its past 14 games, including both matchups with Milwaukee so far this season, and is firmly entrenched in the tank race to the bottom of the standings, where teams — whether they're saying it out loud or not — are jockeying for draft position.

For the Bucks, they're battling for their playoff positioning and as such can't gloss over these next four games.

“We’re treating this like a playoff series," Bucks guard Jason Terry said. "Game 1 is at home and we want to get off to a good start, so we need to get this one here tomorrow night. We’re treating it like a four-game series — I know that’s not realistic but that’s what we’re looking at. We know what our goal is, but it starts tomorrow. Got to get off to a good start, get back feeling good about ourselves.”

While things aren't going as planned, the Bucks remain encouraged by the belief that they're getting better. They've had lapses in areas such as their transition defense and have had times where the ball hasn't moved as well on offense. But they're sorting those issues out against top competition all while building chemistry as they sort out having Jabari Parker playing more minutes with Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe.

That process has involved some issues — missed passes, players not being in the right spots, individuals trying to go it alone, defensive miscommunications — but Antetokounmpo doesn't believe they're behind when it comes to jelling. They're building chemistry and trust and working out the kinks so they'll be ready for the most meaningful games.

“We’ve played playoff teams and they’re teams we’re going to hopefully meet ahead of us," Antetokounmpo said. "They’re not better than us talent-wise, we’ve just got to outwork them for 48 minutes.”

If there have been any frustrations among the Bucks it's been that they haven't had their full complement of players.

Malcolm Brogdon is expected back around early April after partially tearing his left quadriceps tendon. Matthew Dellavedova sprained his right ankle on Feb. 4 and was expected to be out for 3-4 weeks, but on Thursday was still not participating in practice and coach Joe Prunty didn't have a timetable for his return. Tyler Zeller, who missed the past two games with back soreness, did take part in some aspects of Thursday's practice, although his availability for Friday's game is unknown.

“We need everybody to get healthy," Prunty said. "When we’re at full strength we’re even tougher than we are right now. That’s the goal; get healthy, get better.”

No matter who is available for Friday's game or those that come after it, the Bucks have run out of time for close losses. With nine of their final 17 games against teams under .500 — a group Milwaukee has a 20-7 record — the Bucks need to take advantage of each of those opportunities.

“We got to win, we got to win those four games," Antetokounmpo said. "Period. That’s it.”