Bucks use franchise-record shooting night to snap four-game losing skid

The Bucks entered the game on a four-game losing streak and a 4-9 record over their last 13 games. The late-season slump was proving to be damaging, with the Bucks dropping from the fourth to the sixth seed since the All-Star break. Another loss would have shrunk their lead over Orlando to just 3.5 games for the final guaranteed playoff berth.

Before the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo summoned his teammates and told them they were "fighting" for their playoff lives. The pep talk seemed to work.

"I definitely needed a win," he said, via The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "When you win, you enjoy your sleep better. You enjoy your food better...I keep saying to my teammates, 'We're fighting for our lives. We're fighting for our lives.' You think I'm joking, but I'm not joking. We're fighting for our lives right here. Every win counts."

The Bucks improved to 41-34 with the win, but have a long and arduous road ahead to make a deep playoff run. If the season were to end today, Milwaukee would have to beat New York and Boston in the first two rounds. Doc Rivers' men were swept 3-0 by the Knicks in their regular-season series and drew level, 2-2, against the Celtics.

The likelihood of Milwaukee being sent packing after the first round is realistic. The franchise was similarly bounced out of the first round by the Pacers and the Heat in the previous two postseasons.