Bucks, Clippers Still Hoping for Playoff Berths

Milwaukee and Los Angeles battle for postseason positioning with three weeks left in NBA regular season

Mar. 23, 2026 at 11:25am

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The Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks, both hoping to secure playoff spots, will face off on Monday in Inglewood, California. The Clippers are trying to lock down a favorable position in the Western Conference play-in tournament, while the Bucks are making a last-ditch effort to become play-in eligible with three weeks left in the regular season. The Clippers are coming off an overtime win against the Mavericks, led by strong performances from Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard. The Bucks, playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, got a big game from Ryan Rollins to beat the Suns in their last outing.

Why it matters

This matchup between two playoff hopefuls in the final weeks of the season is crucial as both teams jockey for position in the postseason picture. The Clippers are trying to solidify their play-in spot, while the Bucks are fighting to even reach the play-in tournament after a disappointing regular season.

The details

The Clippers (35-36) ended a four-game losing streak with a 138-131 overtime win against the Mavericks on Saturday. Darius Garland scored 41 points with 11 assists in his ninth game for the Clippers, while Kawhi Leonard added 34 points. The Bucks (29-41) are 7.5 games out of the final play-in spot, but pulled off a 108-105 road win over the Suns on Saturday. Ryan Rollins scored 26 points with 10 rebounds, including four in the final 23.8 seconds to seal the victory for Milwaukee, who was without Giannis Antetokounmpo and lost Kyle Kuzma to an Achilles injury.

  • The Clippers and Bucks will face off on Monday, March 27, 2026 in Inglewood, California.
  • The teams will meet again on March 29, 2026 in Milwaukee.

The players

Darius Garland

A guard who was traded to the Clippers at the deadline and is averaging 21.4 points and 7.0 assists in nine games for his new team.

Kawhi Leonard

The Clippers' star forward scored 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range, in the team's overtime win against the Mavericks.

Ryan Rollins

The Bucks' guard scored 26 points with 10 rebounds, including four in the final 23.8 seconds, to lead Milwaukee to a victory over the Suns.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Bucks' star forward missed his third straight game due to a knee injury.

Kyle Kuzma

The Bucks' forward left Saturday's game against the Suns in the third quarter due to right Achilles tendon tightness after scoring 20 points.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah, it was pretty cool to see him go to work. I just wanted him to get some catch-and-shoot opportunities, and he got a couple to get us going. Overall, it was a good team win.”

— Darius Garland

“I just thought it was a team win; everybody pitched in. Kuzma had a fantastic first half and I thought (Rollins) was consistent. It was funny, Ryan started out in the beginning of the game struggling a little bit. We took him out, brought him back in and I thought he played terrifically.”

— Doc Rivers, Bucks Head Coach

What’s next

The Bucks and Clippers will meet again on March 29, 2026 in Milwaukee, in what could be a crucial late-season matchup for both teams' playoff hopes.

The takeaway

This game showcases two teams fighting to keep their playoff dreams alive in the final weeks of the NBA season. The Clippers are trying to solidify their position in the West, while the Bucks are making a last-ditch effort to reach the play-in tournament. Whichever team can come out on top in this matchup will take a big step towards securing a postseason berth.