The Milwaukee Bucks are once again declining in form and will try to turn things around in their next NBA game against the Boston Celtics. They enter the matchup as the 11th team in the Eastern Conference and trail their second-placed opponent by more than 13 games. The Bucks have lost their last two games.

Although Doc Rivers’ squad showed some improvement around midseason, their form now appears to be stagnating. Yesterday, they lost to Chicago 97–120, scoring only eight points in the final quarter.

For Milwaukee, it was already their sixth consecutive loss in which they failed to score at least 100 points. With a 26–33 record, they are three games behind the playoff spots. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains sidelined with a calf injury.

The Boston Celtics have strengthened their hold on second place in the East with two straight wins. Joe Mazzulla’s team saw their four-game winning streak snapped after a poor offensive performance in Denver, but they responded the right way. In the very next game after the loss to the Nuggets, they crushed Brooklyn 148–111 and most recently defeated Philadelphia 114–98.

The head-to-head meetings support this pick. Boston have won four of the last five matchups and most recently triumphed by 28 points. The other games were decided around the -7 mark (with the exception of the one they lost).

Today we take a look at the matchup between Toronto and the New York Knicks. Both teams are currently in direct playoff positions — the Knicks sit third and Toronto fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto have won 3 of their last 5 games, but context matters. The win over Washington (134:125) looks good offensively, but the Wizards are among the weakest teams in the league. The only truly valuable win was against Milwaukee. The losses to the Spurs and Oklahoma exposed the Raptors’ limitations against stronger opponents. Moreover, Oklahoma were missing key players like Shai and Mitchell. Overall, Toronto’s performances have been inconsistent and not entirely convincing.

New York, on the other hand, look more stable. They’ve won 4 of their last 5 games — defeating the Spurs, Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Houston. These are quality opponents, including teams from the upper half of the standings. Their only loss came against another strong side, Cleveland.

The head-to-head record is crystal clear. Toronto last beat New York in 2013, and since then have lost 11 straight meetings. The vast majority of those games ended in double-digit margins (last five: 119:92, 117:101, 116:94, 121:115, 112:98), many by more than 20 points.

Today we take a look at the matchup between Toronto and the New York Knicks. Both teams are currently in direct playoff positions — the Knicks sit third and Toronto fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto have won 3 of their last 5 games, but context matters. The win over Washington (134:125) looks good offensively, but the Wizards are among the weakest teams in the league. The only truly valuable win was against Milwaukee. The losses to the Spurs and Oklahoma exposed the Raptors’ limitations against stronger opponents. Moreover, Oklahoma were missing key players like Shai and Mitchell. Overall, Toronto’s performances have been inconsistent and not entirely convincing.

New York, on the other hand, look more stable. They’ve won 4 of their last 5 games — defeating the Spurs, Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Houston. These are quality opponents, including teams from the upper half of the standings. Their only loss came against another strong side, Cleveland.

The head-to-head record is crystal clear. Toronto last beat New York in 2013, and since then have lost 11 straight meetings. The vast majority of those games ended in double-digit margins (last five: 119:92, 117:101, 116:94, 121:115, 112:98), many by more than 20 points.

Milwaukee (11th place in the East) enters this game on an unpleasant streak of four consecutive losses. Their performances seem inconsistent, as before that they could boast one of the best forms in the NBA. However, I see this matchup as an ideal opportunity for a fresh start.

Utah (14th in the West) belongs among the weakest teams in the league and their situation is tragic. Apart from yesterday’s win against Washington, they had a streak of seven consecutive losses. Their results have certainly been strongly affected by major absences. Kessler, Markkanen, George, Jackson, Collier and several others will not play today against the Bucks. And these are not just role players – five of them are among their best players. Today, Utah will essentially field their “Utah Jazz B” team against Milwaukee.

The head-to-head matchups also slightly favor the Bucks, as they won the last two meetings by 15 and 23 points.