Even though Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks made waves over the summer after landing superstar Damian Lillard, they're still not the top team in their division. Instead, those honors belong to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who reside at the top of the NBA's Central Division with a one-game lead over the Bucks.
For the remaining 20 odd games in the regular season, the Cavs and the Bucks will continue to bounce back and forth between second and third place in the Eastern Conference, with the No. 2 seed obviously leading the race for the Central Division crown. But with the Cavs facing the Chicago Bulls in the Windy City on Wednesday, a win could make a serious difference in both the Eastern Conference playoff standings as well as in the race for the Central Division pennant against Milwaukee.
After already facing each other a full four times this season, the Cavs and the Bucks are tied at two wins apiece. While Cleveland's better record than Milwaukee makes it easier for the Cavs to clinch the Central Division, tiebreakers on how this team performed against other Central Division foes matter. So, heading into this tilt with the Bulls in Chicago, here's where things stand for the Cavs record-wise in the Central Division:
- Vs. Milwaukee Bucks: 2-2
- Vs. Chicago Bulls: 3-0
- Vs. Indiana Pacers: 0-2
- Vs. Detroit Pistons: 3-0
Meanwhile, here's where things stand record-wise in the Central Division for the Bucks:
- Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: 2-2
- Vs. Chicago Bulls: 2-1
- Vs. Indiana Pacers: 1-4
- Vs. Detroit Pistons: 4-0
Cavs' tiebreaker advantage over the Bucks
Overall, Cleveland is 8-4 in Central Division play before facing Chicago, and they still have three other Central Division contests on their schedule. Two of these games will be against Indiana, while the other game remaining is against Detroit. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is 9-7 in Central Division action, only having one division matchup remaining against the Bulls.
So, if the Cavs secure a win in Chicago on Wednesday, they will mathematically be one game closer to clinching the tiebreaker over the Bucks. That is why this game, the second of a back-to-back in the wake of Max Strus's heroic 60-foot game-winner over the Dallas Mavericks, is so important. Even if the opponent is part of the very worst the Eastern Conference has to offer, taking care of business and winning will always be paramount for a team like the Cavs,who are trying to keep the Bucks at an arm's length away.
This especially matters since Milwaukee is more or less set in stone record-wise in the Central Division. If the Bucks drop their final game against the Bulls, then the tiebreaker is secured for Cleveland. But, for the Cavs, Milwaukee is still a team with Antetokounmpo and Lillard running the show. It is a fool's errand to rely on a rival like Chicago to do Cleveland a favor in the race for the Central Division title.
The battle will keep raging until later in the regular season, but for now, it starts with the Cavs taking care of business against the Bulls. Then, they will need to shift their focus to their final battle with the Pistons on Friday night. Curiously enough, when the Cavs head to Detroit, the Bulls will host the Bucks in Chicago. So, assuming everything goes to plan, Cleveland could have the divisional tiebreaker locked up before they face the Pacers again.
However, nothing is certain. All the Cavs can do at this point is take it game-by-game, picking up wins whenever they can.
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