Milwaukee Bucks Limp Into Playoffs, Play Pacers In First Round

In a season rife with ups and downs, the Milwaukee Bucks’ final act against the Orlando Magic was emblematic of their year-long narrative. With the stakes sky-high and the roster better on paper, the Bucks’ on-court execution left a lot to be desired. They were outmaneuvered, outplayed, and ultimately outscored. As the final buzzer sounded, they lost the game and the potential to secure the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee ended in third place with a looming series against the Indiana Pacers, a team who beat them in four out of five tries this season. However, it nearly went from bad to worse.

The Bucks would’ve fallen to fourth place if it weren’t for the Cleveland Cavaliers epic collapse against the Charlotte Hornets. The Cavs entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead that ballooned to 13 with ten minutes remaining. However, they pulled most of their starters at the end of the third quarter, allowing the Hornets to come buzzing back for a ten-point win.

Securing the third seed, the Bucks sidestepped an opening-round clash with the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat play-in. Yet, their opponent doesn’t matter if they can’t steer their vessel back on course.

With critical playoff seeding on the line, Damian Lillard ended his inaugural campaign with the Bucks with a whimper. He connected on a mere two of his 14 field goal attempts to go along with only two assists. Since 2015-16, here’s where he ranks compared to himself in some key categories:

• 2nd-lowest points per game (24.3)
• 3rd-lowest field goal percentage (42.4 percent)
• 2nd-lowest three-point percentage (35.4 percent)
• 3rd-lowest effective field goal percentage (51 percent)

It’s unfair to put this loss solely on Lillard’s shoulders. The entire Bucks’ team looked lethargic. There was a lot of standing on the three-point line and watching their teammate with the ball go to work. If they were feeling especially creative, one of those four guys might go and set a ball-screen while the rest watched.

This uninspired, low-energy approach translated into a woeful offensive display. Despite an early eight-point lead in the first quarter, Milwaukee managed a paltry 12 points in the second. By the third quarter’s close, they had scraped together 22 made field goals and 21 made free throws. They ended with an 88-113 L.

This lackluster performance has become an all-too-familiar refrain for the Bucks throughout the season.

Thankfully, the regular season is now a closed chapter for Milwaukee as they pivot to the postseason, an opportunity to redefine their 2023-24 story. A week lies ahead of Game One against the Pacers: a week of practices in prep of Indiana, a week for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s continued rehabilitation, a consistent week together unlike any they’ve had under Doc Rivers.

Their resolve and optimism have not wavered since River’s arrival, but the sands of time are dwindling. They stand at a juncture where legacies are forged or forgotten.

Last year’s premature exit in the first round, despite a stellar 58-win record, still stings. Another abrupt farewell could tarnish Antetokounmpo’s legacy. Lillard, eager for his first championship, knows that a playoff disappointment will invite scrutiny over his influence on a team once deemed indomitable. Time is also a luxury fading for players like Jae Crowder and Patrick Beverley.

As the postseason curtain rises, the Bucks find themselves at a crossroads, one paved with both promise and peril. The narrative of their 2023-24 season hangs in the balance, a tale of unmet potential and faltering steps. Yet, the playoffs offer a clean slate to re-write their story.