Winning four of six might not sound like anything out of the ordinary for a team closing in on a playoff spot, but considering where the Milwaukee Bucks had been, it's a noteworthy accomplishment.
They'll try to continue trending in the right direction Saturday night against the visiting Orlando Magic, who haven't won in Milwaukee in more than three years.
The Bucks (38-38) won 110-101 in Boston on Friday to give them a 4-2 record since enduring a month-long run at 3-13. Also important was a win over the ninth-place Celtics to give the sixth-place Bucks a four-game cushion in the Eastern Conference playoff race with six to play.
Milwaukee is five games back of Washington and leads Brooklyn by 2 1/2, so it'd take a considerable swing for its seed to change.
"We knew this was a big one," said Michael Carter-Williams, who had eight points, seven assists, six turnovers, five steals and two blocks. "I'm glad to be on this team and to have a chance to be in the playoffs."
If that happens, it figures to be in spite of the addition of Carter-Williams. The point guard's struggles have continued through the last six games with an average of 9.7 points while shooting 35.1 percent and posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of just 1.16 with 4.17 turnovers per game.
Against Boston, Ersan Ilyasova had 17 points and is averaging 17.7 over the six-game span, while O.J. Mayo led all scorers with 24.
Coach Jason Kidd was more impressed with the other end of the floor, where Milwaukee opponents have turned the ball over 19.2 times over the six-game span.
"Our defense, getting stops and then also our pace," Kidd said.
The win ended an 11-game road losing streak, and the Bucks return home for four of their final six games having won three of four in Milwaukee. They're also 13-5 there dating to Jan. 24 with the losses coming against Atlanta, New Orleans, San Antonio, Cleveland and Golden State.
The Bucks have won the last five meetings with the Magic in Milwaukee, though they've all been decided by single digits. They've also taken four of five overall, including two of three in the season series.
Khris Middleton had a career high-matching 30 points in a 97-91 home win on March 11, and his career average of 18.2 points per game in six games against the Magic is his best mark against any team.
Orlando (23-53) snapped a four-game skid and 12-game road losing streak with Friday's 97-84 win in Minnesota. The Magic had lost 10 of 11 overall and are 2-15 on the road in 2015, which is better than only Philadelphia (2-20).
Nikola Vucevic had a career-high 37 points along with 17 rebounds for a fourth straight double-double.
"I wanted to be aggressive," Vucevic said. "We had a size advantage in the paint and I wanted to take advantage of it. We needed this win after a rough stretch."
Tobias Harris added 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Elfrid Payton had 10 points and 10 assists. The point guard has six double-doubles in his last 14 games while averaging 14.3 points and 8.8 assists. His coach thinks his worth is greater than the stats show.
"The numbers don't show it, but he had a great impact on the game tonight," Magic coach James Borrego said. "He controlled it really from wire to wire."
The Magic outrebounded the Timberwolves 53-30 and had a season-high 20 on the offensive glass. Less than a month ago in Milwaukee, they were outrebounded 51-33.
