The Milwaukee Bucks, once a dominant force in the NBA, faced a disappointing exit from the playoffs in 2024. Despite high hopes and expectations, they were unable to advance past the first round, leaving fans and analysts alike stunned.
Many factors contributed to their early exit, including injuries to key players and inconsistent performances on the court. The team's lack of depth and inability to adjust to their opponents' strategies also played a role in their downfall.
Lillard’s arrival came with high expectations for the Bucks to repeat what they accomplished in 2021 when they won their first NBA Championship in 50 years. Thursday night in the Deer District, around 100 fans watched on as Lillard and the Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the playoffs, ending those hopes.
Further mucking up Milwaukee’s future is the health of Khris Middleton. The team’s third star played just 55 games, managing 27 minutes per contest, which isn’t likely to get much better as he enters his age-33 season next year.
The collective regressive health of Milwaukee’s star trio, and the hiring of Rivers — who isn’t known for bringing players together — has suddenly morphed the Bucks, who won the title just three years ago, into a team of constant concern, which stands in stark contrast to how they were perceived going into this season.
Lopez threw a pick-six on the Bucks’ next possession, as Andrew Nembhard picked off a misguided cross-court pass and took it the length of the court for an and-one fastbreak layup. Following a Khris Middleton missed three, McConnell hit a wide-open three as Milwaukee was too concerned about him getting to the hoop for another layup.
What was almost a six-point deficit for Milwaukee suddenly ballooned to a 15-point one. They would never get closer.
The Dallas Mavericks, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, will face the No. 4 Clippers in Game 6 of that first-round series at 9:30 p.m. Friday in Dallas. The Mavericks lead that series 3-2.
The winner of the Cavaliers-Magic series will meet the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The winner of the Clippers-Mavericks series will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
The No. 2 Nuggets and No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves will meet in the other Western Conference semifinals series.
Read more
Caitlin Clark scores game-high 21 points in WNBA debut Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 103-96Sarah H.
Also on site :
- I’m NHL Hall of Famer and Anna Kournikova’s ex-husband who lost $43m and two mansions in investment scam
- Putin ‘offers to HALT frontline invasion of Ukraine’ as Trump’s seven-point peace plan ‘to let Russia keep seized land’
- Federal judge extends order restricting Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act in Colorado