Milwaukee Bucks Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for February

With an impressive home win against the Portland Trail Blazers—and one heck of a dunk by the Greek Freak—to close out the month of January, the Milwaukee Bucks enter February with a good deal of momentum behind them. And for those just waiting for this team to fade, it was a three-game stretch that sent a loud and clear message...

The Bucks are a playoff-caliber team.

Sustaining this level of play throughout this month will be crucial. The Bucks have plenty of winnable games on their schedule in February against opponents such as the Los Angeles Lakers (twice), Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. They must make the most of the alleged "easy" wins.

Starting the month strong, carrying momentum into All-Star Weekend and finishing with a flurry to begin the unofficial second half of the season would be huge for Milwaukee.

If the team can remain poised when the calendar turns over to March, the playoffs will be one step closer, and the level of excitement surrounding this team will continue to grow.

Let's take a look at how the Bucks can do that.

Week 1: Feb. 2 to Feb. 7

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Friday, Feb. 6: @ Houston (Loss)

Saturday, Feb. 7: vs. Boston (Win)

The Bucks started the month with a tough road win in Toronto and a home victory over the Lakers. So the true test will come on Feb. 6 when they travel to Houston to play the Rockets.

Even with the absence of Dwight Howard due to knee problems, Houston has an abundance of weapons, including arguably the league's best all-around player as of this moment: James Harden.

Harden is averaging 27.0 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 38.7 percent from three-point territory. The Beard is also getting to the free-throw line at a clip of 8.9 times per game, which makes him all the more dangerous.

Back on Nov. 29 when the two teams met in Milwaukee at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, the Rockets took it to the Bucks, winning 117-103 in a game that got a bit chippy late when Larry Sanders and Harden got into a small scuffle.

Notching a win against Houston will be tough, but the Bucks should have no problems handling the Celtics during the first week of February.

Week 2: Feb. 9 to Feb. 11

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Monday, Feb. 9: vs. Brooklyn (Win)

Wednesday, Feb. 11: vs. Sacramento (Win)

Heading into All-Star Weekend, the Bucks couldn't have a more favorable schedule in front of them.

The Nets and Kings are both well below the .500 mark and have had trouble putting together anything resembling a string of success lately. Brooklyn is 4-6 in its last 10 games, while Sacramento is a paltry 1-9, so neither team has a ton of momentum going.

Sacramento provides matchup problems with DeMarcus Cousins manning the interior and the versatility of Rudy Gay on the wing. However, as a team, the Kings have struggled to contain opposing offenses, allowing 104.6 points per game on 45.1 percent shooting.

Milwaukee isn't the most offensively talented team in the league, but it is efficient. The Bucks connect on 46.5 percent of their field-goal attempts, ranking sixth, and 37.9 percent from long distance, ranking third.

Scoring shouldn't be an issue, but the defense will need to show up. If it does, the Bucks should earn a few victories heading into the All-Star break. 

Week 3: Feb. 20 to Feb. 22

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Friday, Feb. 20: vs. Denver (Win)

Sunday, Feb. 22: vs. Atlanta (Win)

After nine days of rest, the Bucks return to the BMO Harris Bradley Center for a pair of games against the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks.

With a 12-10 home record, the Bucks aren't exactly a dominant force within the friendly confines of their own arena, but a win against the Nuggets wouldn't be surprising, and to be frank, it should be expected for a team that is playing as well as Milwaukee is.

The main focus of this two-game stretch will be a home game against the Eastern Conference's best team.

Of the nine games the Hawks have lost this season, the Bucks are responsible for one of them. In that contest, the Deer rolled the Hawks in Atlanta by a final score of 107-77. The following night, Milwaukee lost by five in a close contest.

Clearly, these two games have demonstrated the Bucks can hang with the Hawks. However, being able to beat them again will require the best of efforts.

Ultimately, there is no reason why, given the way they have been playing, the Bucks can't pull off a victory at home.

Week 4: Feb. 23 to 28

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Monday, Feb. 23: at Chicago (Loss)

Wednesday, Feb. 25: vs. Philadelphia (Win)

Friday, Feb. 27: at Los Angeles Lakers (Win)

Saturday, Feb. 28: at Utah (Win)

At a glance, the Bucks really do have a favorable schedule in the month of February. There are plenty of games they should be expected to win, with only a few they should lose scattered in the mix.

However, we all know that's not always how things work.

The last week of February sees the Bucks travel to the United Center to play the Bulls and finish the month off with a couple of games out West.

Unable to break through yet this season against the Bulls, the Bucks will be looking to knock off their neighbors to the south. The Bulls have taken both games so far this season, but the Bucks kept each game relatively close.

Containing Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler is only half the battle when Chicago has a skilled big man like Pau Gasol in the mix. The veteran center killed the Bucks in January, scoring 46 points and hauling in 18 rebounds en route to a Chicago win.

If they can get by the Bulls, the Bucks will be poised to win the remaining three games they have in February. 

February at a Glance

Aaron Gash/Associated Press

If the Bucks win the games they should win and are able to steal a victory from one of the better teams they face, finishing with a 9-3 record in February is not out of the question.

And for a team that has already won five games in a row as of Feb. 4, that would just be icing on the cake.

Hodgepodge of talent or not, the Bucks continue to play team basketball and turn heads each and every game. And with every game, the team grows and improves. Whether or not that translates to prolonged success has yet to be seen, but there's every reason to be encouraged by Milwaukee's play thus far.

With a good February, this Bucks team would prove to be a threat in terms of the playoff picture.

And a young, energetic team with the motivation to win is the most dangerous come postseason time.

All statistics provided by Basketball-Reference and current through Feb. 5.