Don’t get us wrong—the Milwaukee Bucks’ exit in the first round of this year’s NBA Playoffs was both shocking and a monumental disappointment. But it certainly wasn’t the worst result in franchise history. After all, the Bucks have been around since 1968, and they’ve seen their share of highs and lows throughout the years.
The 1974 NBA Finals
The Milwaukee Bucks were a dominant force in the 1974 NBA Playoffs, breezing past the first two rounds with just a lone loss to show for it. However, they ran into a tough Boston Celtics squad led by John Havlicek and Dave Cowens in the NBA Finals. The series, though, was tied at 3-3 after a valiant effort in Game 6 that was capped off by a game-winning sky hook by “The Captain,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, that pushed them to a 102-101 win.
The stage was set for the Bucks to possibly hoist the NBA title as they hosted Game 7 on their home floor at the Milwaukee Arena. But the Celtics spoiled the party, as Dave Cowens’ double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds led them to a 102-87 title-clinching victory.
The 2001 Eastern Conference Finals
The 2001 Bucks squad was an underrated but sublimely good squad led by sharpshooter Ray Allen and veterans Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson and Sam Cassell. The team had a solid shot of making it to the NBA Finals as they faced off against the East’s top-seed, the Philadelphia 76ers, which was led by the iconic Allen Iverson.
However, the Bucks just could not get it going in the penultimate game, eventually falling 108-91. Even though Iverson’s 44 points had a lot to do with the Bucks’ loss, Allen felt something was off in that last game, as evidenced by the huge disparity in foul calls.
“We were the lowly Milwaukee Bucks,” Allen said. “Small market, everyone always was talking about ratings, the ones we did not draw that much of.”
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