Milwaukee Bucks become quickest team to clinch playoff berth in NBA history

Even though the Milwaukee Bucks were not in action on Sunday, they watched the 9th seed Washington Wizards lose 126-117 to the Chicago Bulls, pushing them 27.5 games back with 27 games to play.

This meant that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co clinched a playoff berth on 23 February, which is now earliest date on the calendar in NBA history that a team has entered the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks v Brooklyn Nets

The playoffs are scheduled to begin on 18 April, which is almost two months away.

The Bulls beat the Wizards. With that, the #Bucks have clinched a playoff berth. Feb. 23 is the earliest a team has clinched a spot in NBA history, topping 2017 Warriors (Feb. 25).

— JR Radcliffe (@JRRadcliffe) February 24, 2020

The Bucks have a monstrous 48-8 regular season win-loss record, leading the Western Conference and the league. Their current run is on pace to bag them 70 wins before the season wraps up, a mark that has been achieved by only two teams previously.

Milwaukee Bucks v Indiana Pacers

Their net rating of 11.8 is the league's best, and the squad also boasts a league-best points differential of +12.4 so far. The Milwaukee Bucks also lead the NBA in defensive rating (101.9) and are third in terms of offensive rating (113.7).

Giannis Antetokounmpo is on his way to become a back-to-back MVP award winner. He has blistering averages like 30 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists, while playing just 30.9 minutes per contest this season.