With just seven games remaining on the Milwaukee Bucks' schedule, the time to close the two-game gap between them and the Philadelphia 76ers is slowly closing.
The opportunity to pass the New York Knicks, who hold the season tiebreaker, may just be over.
Nevertheless, it can be done.
With the basketball gods in their corner and the following of set guidelines, the Milwaukee Bucks could find themselves in the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Here are five reasons they'll be able to get the job done.
5. Schedule
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Not only are half of the Bucks' final six games at home, but three of them are against surefire lottery teams.
While the Bucks' losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks are a bit discouraging, they have a chance to make up ground in a big way, as the Philadelphia 76ers face the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers consecutively.
If the Sixers drop both games, the Bucks will have a chance to tie them with victories over Washington and Indiana. The next two games for Milwaukee would come against the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets before facing the Sixers in Milwaukee.
Remaining Games
Home: New Jersey Nets (Apr. 21); Toronto Raptors (Apr. 23); Philadelphia 76ers (Apr. 25)
Away: Washington Wizards (Apr. 18); Indiana Pacers (Apr. 19); Boston Celtics (Apr. 26)
4. Underrated Inside-Out Game
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While the Bucks' perimeter garners most of the attention, as Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis light up the scoreboard, center Drew Gooden and forward Ersan Ilyasova have been outstanding in 2012.
They've been so outstanding that the Bucks' interior game has hardly suffered from Andrew Bogut's absence and eventual trade.
Gooden has posted 12 double-doubles, including one triple-double, while Ilysaova has had 22 double-digit rebounding games. This has led to a career-best of 8.6 rebounds per game, including 3.2 on the offensive glass.
Furthermore, Ilyasova is shooting a career-best 46 percent from distance and 49 percent from the field.
Between him and Gooden, the Bucks are set for any competition. When paired with the young, shot-blocking Ekpe Udoh, it's hard to imagine anyone having an advantage over Milwaukee down low.
3. Philadelphia 76ers Just Aren't Cutting It
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Over the past seven games, the Philadelphia 76ers have gone a disappointing 2-5.
They're also just 6-11 since defeating the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 11th.
This opens the door for one of the hottest teams in the NBA to overtake the Sixers for eighth in the East.
Furthermore, a 76er has led a game in scoring just two times over the past 10 outings.
They've also failed to outscore their opponent in the first quarter of the past five games. If they fail to do so against the Bucks come April 25th, the game could be over before you know it.
2. Passing the Ball
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One of the most understated results of the Bucks' acquisition of Monta Ellis is how much greater of a team they are on offense.
Evidence of such is that the Milwaukee Bucks now lead the NBA in assists with 23.9 per game, including a team-leading 6.0 per game from Ellis.
The Bucks also receive 5.6 assists per game from Brandon Jennings, as well as 4.0 from Beno Udrih.
Four other players on the Bucks' roster average greater than 2.0, including Drew Gooden, Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Delfino and Shaun Livingston.
While the leaders are well-defined by fan opinion, the team-oriented nature of the Bucks' offense will be much more difficult to handle than any isolation attempts that Brandon Jennings previously attempted.
Evidence of such is their 99.3 points per game, which is good for fifth in the NBA.
1. Monta Ellis
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Since Monta Ellis arrived in Milwaukee, he has been the best player on their roster.
Not only does he lead the team in scoring with 20.5 points per game, but he also leads them with 5.9 assists.
He's also third on the team with 1.46 steals and fourth in Player Efficiency Rating. His individual achievements are almost as significant as what he's brought to the Bucks' lineup.
The normally offensive-inept Bucks currently top the NBA with 23.6 assists per game and rank fifth with 99.1 points per outing.
They're also fourth in free-throw percentage, ninth in turnovers and third in both turnover differential and assist-to-turnover ratio.
All of those numbers have a direct correlation to Monta Ellis' arrival.
So does the Bucks' 11-7 record since acquiring Ellis, thus taking them to 29-31 on the season and within two-and-a-half games of the playoffs.
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