The Milwaukee Bucks got waxed in Indiana last night to lose their first round series to the Indiana Pacers, four games to two. Despite Damian Lillard being back in the lineup, the Pacers took care of business at home to get their first playoff series win since 2014. They’ll now move on to face the New York Knicks in the second round. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks will enter the offseason much earlier than anyone had anticipated.
2021 Milwaukee Bucks Champs Inspired Hope in Game 5
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The Milwaukee Bucks were dominant in game 5 on Tuesday night. And they did it without franchise cornerstone, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his newly acquired all-star running mate, Damian Lillard, who were both out with injuries. The rest of the squad, chock-full of veterans and a few former NBA champions, responded so resoundingly that the storyline immediately shifted from ‘huge disappointment’ to ‘inspiring comeback.’
Head coach Doc Rivers started three of Milwaukee’s leaders from their 2021 championship run, Kris Middleton, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez. And they played like ones. Especially Portis and Middleton, who led the charge back for the Bucks, with 29 points a piece. After falling behind by eight after the first quarter, the former champions led their team all the way back in dramatic fashion, dominating the next three quarters by 31 points.
Milwaukee Bucks Miss Their Shot To Make History
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If the Milwaukee Bucks had taken game 6 and returned home for a final, pressure-packed game 7, there experience would most certainly have given them an edge. With 6 members of the 2021 championship team on the roster, they held a significant edge in that regard. The Pacers only former champion was the newly acquired Pascal Siakam. And the franchise has famously never won a championship. So, why didn’t it happen?
Should The Milwaukee Bucks ‘Blame Dame?’
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Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has as many NBA Championships as Doc Rivers, so you’d call it even along the bench. This was a golden opportunity missed for the Milwaukee Bucks. More for Lillard than anyone else. With Giannis out, Dame was the unquestioned leader. Yet, with their season on the line, and the ball in Lillard’s hands, the Milwaukee Bucks looked flatter than ever. They weren’t in the game all night.
Time For the Milwaukee Bucks To Trade Lillard?
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The Milwaukee Bucks traded a lot to pair Damian Lillard with their superstar, Giannis. This was supposed to be a championship-or-bust team. Last offseason, Lillard was angling for a major market destination like Miami. Not Milwaukee. This wasn’t his first choice. And his happiness was admittedly compromised. Life in Milwaukee was not what Damian Lillard was after when he asked to be traded from the Portland Trailblazers.
It’s not a stretch to look at Game 6 as a prime example of how unhappy Dame really was. Chemistry is everything in team sports. And the Milwaukee Bucks had very little in this series. Or this season, for that matter. It will be tough trading Lillard’s huge contract with his age being a detriment at 34. And yet, no amount of offseason moves or free agent signings can change the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks play in Milwaukee.
About the Author
Colton is a Hollywood screenwriter turned sports columnist. Originally from the suburbs of Detroit, he is a Michigan State University grad who spent fifteen years in Los Angeles after receiving a Bachelor’s in Journalism from MSU. An award-winning filmmaker with multiple projects still in development, Colton is currently co-authoring a biography, “The Boy from the Bronx,” with renowned businessman, Michael Weisser.
Eric is a recent and welcome addition to Total Apex Sports. He’s a highly knowledgeable and respected voice in the sports community, both in Michigan and nationally. Eric Colton resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters.
