With consecutive blowout victories against Philadelphia and Indiana, the Milwaukee Bucks appear on the verge of realizing their potential 20 games into the season.

"We're very close to being very difficult to beat," Bucks coach George Karl said.

At the same time, Karl warns: "We're not out of the woods yet."

While the Bucks remain in search of their dominant personality, they recently began their most difficult stretch of the year. Counting last week's games at Miami and Philadelphia, the Bucks will have played 14 of 18 on the road by the time the challenging period ends in early January.