PLAYOFF RACE – With just eight games remaining, Milwaukee is in the midst of a critical stretch in the race with New York and Philadelphia for the eighth seed. Here's a breakdown of the remaining schedule for the three teams:

NATIONAL TREASURE – On the night of Milwaukee's only ESPN appearance this season, Monta Ellis recorded his first double-double in a Bucks uniform (fifth total this season) when he finished with 35 points and 10 assists. He also managed to swipe four steals from the Knicks, making him the first Milwaukee player since Terry Cummings during the 1986-87 season to have 35+ points, 10+ assists and 4+ steals in a single regular-season game.

Additionally, Ellis is one of only three players to have a 35 point/10 assist night in the NBA this season. Chris Paul (36/11) and Deron Williams (35/14) are the others.

SUP-ERSAN – Ilyasova is having a breakout season, posting career highs in scoring (12.9 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg), FG% (.493), 3P% (.455), 20-point games (11) and double-doubles (17). What makes Ersan stand out as a Most Improved candidate, though, is that he's accomplished it all in just 27.4 minutes per game (just two additional minutes than his previous career high). Ersan has been so efficient in his minutes this season that he's on pace to become the first player to average 12 points and eight rebounds in under 28 minutes per game since a pair of Hall of Famers did so in the early '90s:

ERSANITY! – During the height of Linsanity in New York, Ilyasova produced a historic night of his own just across the Hudson. Ersan erupted for career highs of 29 points and 25 rebounds in Milwaukee's win at New Jersey on 2/19, becoming the first Bucks player in over 30 years to tally 25+ points and rebounds in a single game. Ilyasova becomes just the third member of the 25/25 club in Bucks history, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Swen Nater.

DUN-3-VY – The Bucks offense has been a revelation this season, ranking in the top-half of the league in scoring (99.1 ppg, 6th), 100-point games (29, T4th) and offensive rating (102.6, 14th). Last season, Milwaukee ranked 30th in all three categories. A major reason for the improvement has been the scoring off the bench from Mike Dunleavy. The veteran has led a 2nd-unit that ranks 5th in the league at 34.9 bench points per game, and his 20 games this season with 10+ points on 50% or better shooting as a reserve ties for 6th in the league. Dunleavy shot 56.9% from the field during March, the best mark in the month for a guard, and his 54.4% accuracy from behind the arc for the month led the league. Dunleavy is at 42.7% from three on the season, the 14th-best mark in the NBA.

• The Bucks' starting backcourt of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis combined for 57 points and 17 assists on 24-for-45 (.533) shooting Wednesday night vs. New York.
  
  
• Ersan Ilyasova's 45.5% average from behind the three-point line this season is tied for 2nd in the NBA, and on pace to be the best three-point shooting season by a Buck since Dell Curry shot 47.6% during the 1998-99 season. Ilyasova has gone 16-for-28 (.571) from behind the arc over his last 11 games.
  
  
• The Bucks forced New York into 17 total turnovers on Wednesday night, the eighth game out of the last 10 that the team has recorded 15 or more opponent turnovers. It was Milwaukee's 35th game this season with such a total. Only New York (38), Memphis and Miami (37 each) have had more. The Bucks rank 4th in the NBA for opponent turnovers per game with 16.21.
  
  
• According to hoopdata.com, through games of April 8, Milwaukee has an assist percentage of 62.16, better than all but one team in the NBA this season (Boston, 67.29).
  
  
• The Bucks rank 6th in the NBA in points per game with 99.1 and 3rd in assists per game with 23.71. They ranked 30th in both of those categories last season.