Milwaukee Bucks: What clinching home-court means for the playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks have clinched home-court advantage for the entire playoffs. Why is this important for the Bucks and their postseason goals?

The Milwaukee Bucks just did something that has not happened in a very long time. By defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in a classic on Thursday night, they clinched the best record in the league and therefore will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

For much of the season, the Toronto Raptors kept pace with Milwaukee at the top, ensuring it didn’t run away with the regular season title. The Raptors were the defending regular season champions, and a popular pick to pace the East prior to the season. If not the Raptors it was the Boston Celtics who were supposed to be there, yet they have never caught their groove and are well behind in fourth.

This Bucks team came unexpectedly and quickly out of the gates, and never let up. They began 7-0 and beat the Raptors, Sixers, Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets in their first month. A 21-4 stretch from Christmas to the All-Star Break solidified their standing and made 60 wins a realistic goal to grasp.

Grasp it they did, as the Bucks continued to win despite the injury bug finally taking hold. With just three home games remaining, the Bucks need just one more win to reach 60. The last time Milwaukee finished with the top record in the league was 1973-74, when the newly-renamed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to within a whisper of his (and their) second title. That season, 45 years ago, was also the last season Milwaukee made the NBA Finals.

Why does securing the league’s top record matter? It matters because of the historical milestones this team has reached, because of how the playoff field will shake out, and because it makes this team’s goal of winning a title even more possible.