2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 13: DeRozan Dominates, Bye Bye Bucks And Spurs Get A TP TBT

Bye Bye Bucks

After trailing by as many as 25 points in the third quarter of a do-or-die game at home, it felt like an inauspicious end for the overachieving Milwaukee Bucks.

They had stolen Game 1 on the road against a favored Raptors contender. They had taken a 2-1 series lead by protecting their home-court in Game 3. And they had Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek Freak who became a Greek god in his second postseason.

Unfortunately for Milwaukee and all those random, vintage, clutch threes from Jason Terry, the comeback attempt was not meant to be. Even with the Bucks holding a two-point lead with a few minutes to play, Toronto’s playoff experience eventually won out:

But before we mourn for the Bucks, let’s remember that about 5-10 years from now, we’ll probably be sick of them for ruling the Eastern Conference with an iron fist.

Giannis is already the second- or third-best player in the East (depending on how you feel about John Wall) and he’s only 22 years old.

Khris Middleton is going to be better next season when he has more time to shake that injury-related rust off. Jabari Parker, assuming he can return healthy, is an automatic 20-point scorer on a nightly basis, which is what the Bucks really needed to help Giannis in Game 6.

Malcolm Brogdon deserves to win Rookie of the Year and has a bright future despite already being 24.  And “20-year-old” Thon Maker, no matter what his age actually is, is going to be a damn scary center in this league if his first playoff appearance is to be believed.

So while it was disappointing to see Milwaukee crumble in a playoff game against a team that’s known for doing exactly that, grieve not for the Bucks. In just a few short years, the East may be running through them.