Week 18 witnessed teams returning from the break to enter the stretch run phase of the 2019-20 campaign. The OKC Thunder began their efforts on Friday with a huge win over the Denver Nuggets and then dropped a beating on their nemesis the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Strategy plays a role for all clubs whether they are aiming to secure a specific seed, avoid a certain opponent or conversely fall down the ladder for a better lottery pick.
Milwaukee is poised to capture the top seed in the Eastern Conference and finish with the best record in the NBA having already secured their playoff participation despite eight weeks remaining in the regular season.