MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) The Milwaukee Bucks are just 3-and-3 since trading for Monta Ellis in a push for the playoffs. And things don’t get any easier tonight, when the Atlanta Hawks roll into the Bradley Center in search of their fifth straight victory. Milwaukee has lost three-of-its-last-four, after falling at New York by nine last night. It dropped the Bucks to five games below .500, and two-and-a-half behind the Knicks for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 17 games left.

Both Ellis and Brandon Jennings have struggled together in Milwaukee’s backcourt. Since being traded, Ellis has only scored 12 points a game, seven below his season average before the trade. And Ellis made only 2-of-14 shots last night for a season-low four points. Jennings has also struggled, averaging just 14 points since Ellis became his backcourt partner.

But Jennings has been at his best against Atlanta. He has averaged 26-and-a-half points and 10-and-a-half assists against the Hawks, even though the Bucks as a team are 0-and-2 against them.

Atlanta is 10 games above .500, and they have the Eastern Conference player-of-the-week in Joe Johnson. He averaged 23 points in five games last week. The Hawks took a rest yesterday after winning a quadruple-overtime home win over Utah on Sunday, 139-to-133.