With the All Star Break in the rearview mirror and only 25 games remaining on the road to the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks are officially in “put up or shut up” mode. At 32-25 and sixth in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks are slightly behind where most expected them to be, but have gained ground in the Joe Prunty Era: 9-3 since jettisoning former coach Jason Kidd and a defensive rating that has crept into the middle-third of the league.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10279403/Screen_Shot_2018_02_22_at_12.48.57_PM.png)
The standings in the East have tightened up across the three main tiers: the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics are jockeying with one another for the top position, while looking back at a rejuvenated Cleveland Cavaliers team that, with an engaged LeBron James, could easily make up the 6.