The Bucks finally look like the team we all expected to challenge the Celtics in the East

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Now, here’s Prince J. Grimes.

Don’t look now, but here come the Milwaukee Bucks.

After an uneven first-half of the season that got head coach Adrian Griffin fired — even with one of the NBA’s best records — the Bucks finally look like the team people were expecting when they entered the season as one of the league’s two title favorites.

As of Wednesday, Milwaukee’s +700 title odds remain fourth-best at BetMGM — second in the Eastern Conference — and its play under new coach Doc Rivers is finally reflecting that potential. Since the All-Star break, the Bucks are a perfect 6-0 with four of those wins coming on the road. More importantly, they have the NBA’s second-best defensive rating in that stretch, which is where Milwaukee struggled the most under Griffin, posting the 22nd-ranked defense before he was fired. However, since going 3-7 in the first 10 games under Rivers, Milwaukee is locking down on defense, playing with a ton of intensity and scoring at high clip.

During its winning streak, the Bucks also have the league’s second-best offensive rating, trailing only the Boston Celtics — the league’s best team and runaway favorites to win both the East (-115) and NBA title (+220). Milwaukee was thought to be Boston’s biggest threat before its weaknesses were revealed, and that appears to be the case again as the Bucks have found their footing.

Now, they get to test just how ready they are to challenge the league’s best with a tough upcoming stretch. Though their winning streak includes impressive wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers, the Bucks also played the Charlotte Hornets twice and the Chicago Bulls. Their next seven games are all against teams with winning records, beginning tonight at the Golden State Warriors and ending March 20 with a marquee matchup against Boston.

We’re about to learn a lot about the Bucks over the next two weeks. If the last week and a half is any indication, they’re ready for the challenge.

Don’t forget about the Miami Heat

I’ve written about how we can’t forget about the Miami Heat at least twice this season, even suggesting their odds to win the East as a value bet at the All-Star break. But now someone with a little more credibility is co-signing that thought for me.

On Wednesday’s episode of First Take, JJ Redick called Miami “very dangerous.”

“They’ve got balance, they’ve got depth and most importantly Playoff Jimmy is coming,” Redick said. “He has been incredible since the All-Star break. 26 points a game, he’s getting to the free throw line, he’s shooting threes, he’s playmaking. This is a team nobody wants to see in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.”

.@jj_redick warns the Eastern Conference about the Heat

"They've got balance. They've got depth. And most importantly, 'Playoff Jimmy' is coming." pic.twitter.com/ga3mIUIWXW

— First Take (@FirstTake) March 6, 2024

Hard agree. The Heat are 11-3 in their last 14 games, with the league’s fourth-best net rating. And we’ve seen them turn it on this time a year before, so it’s not something anyone should be surprised by.

The Celtics and Bucks are still the favorites in the East, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are sleepers if they can get healthy, but the Heat are absolutely a team can that can blow up whatever dreams and hopes any of those teams have.

One to Watch

(All odds via BetMGM)

Los Angeles Clippers (-275) at Houston Rockets (+6.5; +220), 7:40 p.m. ET

There are a few things at play here that bettors need to be aware of before making a pick for this game. First of all, it’s the second game of a back-to-back for the Rockets, which obviously puts them at a disadvantage against an already superior team. It’s also LA’s first game since losing to Milwaukee, which I’m sure the Clippers would like to rebound from.

But the thing I’m thinking about most is this being James Harden’s first and only game back in Houston this season. While there’s potential for that to go incredibly bad, I think he’ll want to put on a show for his old fans, so I’m predicting it goes really well and the Clippers cover -6.5 behind a monster game for the beard.

Shootaround

— The 7 best moments from Jason and Travis Kelce’s bobblehead night with the Cavaliers.

— Oh, and Shaq broke the Kelces’ bobblehead.

— Nikola Jokic shared a hilarious NSFW explanation for why other NBA legends compliment him.

— From the world of high school hoops, a New Jersey school had its playoff win ripped away by an awful buzzer-beater reversal.

That’s it from me y’all. Check back Friday for more Layup Lines.