Photo via Bucks - Twitter
Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton
The Milwaukee Bucks (48-34) have snagged the fifth seed in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs, starting Saturday, largely on their finishing run. They won eight straight games including two overtime contests to end the regular season schedule, and 10 of the last 14 games.
Their record was good enough for third place in the NBA Central Division, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers, respectively.
Giannis Antetokounmpo even sat out the home finale, a 140-133 extra period gem against the Detroit Pistons. During the last 14 games, he put up six triple-doubles, and three double-doubles. With MVP threshold stats for the season, he averaged 30.4 points per game, second in the league, 11.9 rebounds per game, and shot 60.1% from the field.
Double-Double in Detroit
The Detroit game also afforded guard Pat Connaughton a chance to chalk up his own double-double, leading all scorers with 43 points, and grabbing 11 rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. sat out the game with a wrist injury, although the guard has proven to be a great trade pick, as well as Kyle Kuzma.
The Bucks were pulling streaks of four consecutive wins, four losses in a row, two wins followed by two losses … enough of those multiples. It’s now the best-of-seven playoffs for the NBA Championship, and never mind the In-Season Tournament for losing bracket teams. Makes you wonder why they play the season.
The first-round opponent is our old friends, the Indiana Pacers, who eliminated Milwaukee last year, in six games. The Bucks were missing Antetokounmpo for the series, Damian Lillard and a hobbled Khris Middleton were off and on, along with the now-departed Bobby Portis Jr. for one game.
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The Greek Factor
The news was quietly spread before the 2024-25 season that this could also be Antetokounmpo’s final season in Milwaukee, if the Bucks don’t get a championship. His presence will be the main factor in any chance for the team.
Milwaukee took three of the four regular season games against the Pacers. The 115-114 loss, last March, came on Tyrese Haliburton’s three-pointer at the buzzer, and free throw from a foul called on Antetokounmpo.
Middleton, Malik Beasley, and Patrick Beverley are now gone. Beverley famously chucked a basketball twice at fans in the Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, during the last game. Civil litigation by two female fans for injuries was filed in February. He also chided a female media member. Beverley was playing basketball in Israel, at last note.
Antetokounmpo had his own issues with the Pacers in 2023, when he went looking for the game ball that somehow disappeared and re-appeared in the home locker room.
The Pacers went 50-32, for second place in the NBA Central Division, just ahead of the Bucks. They put on an offensive display in the season finale against the Cavaliers, the division’s first place team in a 126-118 double overtime win. Down by 27 points, the firepower off the bench outscored Cleveland 50-43 on 44.1% shooting from the field. Johnny Furphy, Tony Bradley, Quentin Jackson, RayJ Dennis, and Enrique Freeman did the job in replacing the pulled starters. Luckily, the latter three players are ineligible, as they are on two-way contracts with the NBA G-League.
Indiana Starters Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Haliburton will get boosted by Benedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin as subs and averaged 117.3 points per game this season.
Don’t forget, Milwaukee started the regular season losing eight out of 10 games, and turned it around. The same issues of age and injuries will be the critical factors to watch and cross the fingers on.
It was 2022, when the Bucks won a playoff series, with none since then. Lillard is still out on the injury list with a blood clot in his calf, and his 24.9 points per game would come in handy.
