After a much-needed All-Star break for both teams, the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks believe they’re well-positioned for the final stretch of the regular season.Los Angeles holds the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, while the Bucks are fifth in the East.Both teams hope to be at full strength when they resume play in Milwaukee on Thursday. The Bucks are monitoring the status of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who last played on Feb. 2. After sitting out one game with right knee pain, the superstar forward missed the last five games as well as All-Star weekend with a strained left calf.Guard Damian Lillard is listed as questionable with a right hamstring strain. He sat out last Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves before competing in the NBA 3-Point Contest and Sunday’s All-Star game.Milwaukee and Los Angeles are both adjusting after making roster changes earlier this month. Point guard Ben Simmons made his Clippers debut in a 120-116 overtime win over the Utah Jazz last Thursday. The 28-year-old had 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes off the bench.”He did everything we asked him to do: Rebound, defend, push the ball in transition, create for others, attack the rim,” Clippers center Ivica Zubac said. “When they doubled James (Harden), he was really good flashing in the middle and playmaking from there. It was great, man. It was all that we expected and more.I think he played great, and I think he’s going to be huge for us.”Kawhi Leonard sat out the win over Utah with right knee injury management, but he is expected to play Thursday. The game begins a stretch of seven road contests that ends March 4 against the Phoenix Suns.”We have a lot of road games coming up,” forward Nicolas Batum said. “I think it can be good, though, as a team, to just stick together, be together, get in the gym, practice, get to know the guys. We’ve got great, big games coming up. And after the Phoenix game, if we’re in great shape, then we’ll be good for the rest of the season.”Los Angeles is aiming for a series sweep of Milwaukee after beating the Bucks 127-117 on Jan. 25. Harden scored 40 points to lead the Clippers.