The Milwaukee Bucks have quietly amassed a 14-game win streak that has stretched for over a month and for nearly the entirety of February.
It has been a fun run that has seen Milwaukee lock in on both ends of the court and remind the NBA who they are. Hopefully, it continues, but let’s check out 14 numbers that define their current 14-game streak.
0
Obviously, that’s the number of games the Bucks have lost over their last 14 contests, but it represents more than that. It’s also the number of games Milwaukee has had their entire squad healthy for this stretch. Winning 14 games in a row is impressive enough, but doing it without your entire team for any part of it is even more eye-opening. More on this later.
1
It may not seem like it, but this is the longest win streak in the NBA this season. The Brooklyn Nets reeled off 12 in a row in December and the Memphis Grizzlies went for 11 straight from the end of December into January. Four other teams are tied with nine-straight, including the Bucks’ 9-0 start to the season.
2
The Bucks have had some impressive streaks under head coach Mike Budenholzer, and this represents the second-most wins in a row they’ve had with him at the helm. Their longest was 18 straight games from him November to December of 2019. Their franchise record sits at 20.
5.5
When the Bucks started this run on January 23rd, they were 29-17 and tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with the Nets. They were 5.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the East. Now, they are 0.5 games behind.
7
As previously mentioned, Milwaukee has been missing key players throughout this entire run. They’ve been without seven regular contributors at one point or another: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton, Wesley Matthews, Jae Crowder and Joe Ingles.
9
Milwaukee has employed balance scoring to make up for the missed time from key players. Their are eight players averaging a least eight points per game during this streak with Antetokounmpo (31.9 points per game) and Jrue Holiday (20.3) leading the charge. Portis (15.3), Brook Lopez (15.2), Middleton (14.7), Grayson Allen (10.1), Jevon Carter (8.7), Connaughton (8.7) and Crowder (8.0) are the others.
11.4
For the advanced stats nerds, the Bucks net rating during this stretch is 11.4. The Cavaliers are second at 8.7 and Celtics third at 4.9. Boston has the highest net rating for the entire season at 6.2 with the Bucks coming in at sixth with a 3.5 rating.
12.3
For you old heads, the Bucks have outscored their opponents by 12.3 points per game.
12
Milwaukee has beat 12 unique teams during this stretch with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers being the only teams they’ve beaten twice. In chronological order, the Bucks have defeated the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Clippers, Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Heat, and Phoenix Suns. The Brooklyn Nets are their next opponent.
13.2
The Bucks have struggled with turnovers all season long, coughing the rock up on 15.1 percent of their possessions before this stretch started. During their streak, they’ve only turned it over on 13.2 percent of possessions, bringing their season percentage down to 14.6 percent. 13.2 would be good enough for sixth in the NBA on the entire season.
32.4
Their defense has locked in during this stretch and turning in some dominant performances. A hot topic coming into the season was their revamped three-point defense. They started out great before slipping in the middle of the season. They are back to dominating, allowing opponents to only make 32.4 percent of their three-point attempts—the second-best percentage over the last 14 games.
43.7
It’s not just the three-point line the Bucks are locking down, but the entire court. They’re only allowing their opponents to make 43.7 percent of all their shots. That’s the top mark during this stretch and would be the best in the league if applied to the entire season.
103.83
Offensively, the Bucks have picked up their pace and are pushing the ball more than ever. Heading into their first game of the streak, they ranked 16th in the NBA with a pace of 100.04. Their 103.83 pace since is the second-highest and would rank first if applied to the entire season.
106
Defense wins championships. The Bucks have proven that mantra and are out to prove it again. Their 106 defensive rating is the second-best mark during this streak.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansampson/2023/02/27/14-numbers-to-know-for-milwaukee-bucks-14-game-win-streak/