The road ahead of the week of April 18th looked to be as treacherous of a path as one could expect within a week in the NBA. Three games, the first versus the eventual second seed in the western conference, and the next two games were against the winningest team in the East. Many Bucks fans felt fortunate that they ended the week one foul call away from a 3-0 week. However, that foul call was incredibly controversial, and eerily reminiscent of Giannis Antetokounmpo fouling Jimmy Butler at the final buzzer of Game 2. This time instead of Giannis, it was PJ Tucker who fouled the shooter at the buzzer. Meanwhile, Giannis was sitting due to an awkward fall after he blocked Devin Booker at the beginning of overtime. As anti-climactic as it may be, both of those calls were correct, and there’s no choice but to move on. The Bucks also beat the Philadelphia 76ers in a back-to-back. However, the ‘6ers were without Ben Simmons in the first game, then without both Joel Embiid and Simmons in the second game. The first game wasn’t nearly close as the box score would suggest, given that Embiid only played three quarters. Unfortunately, the bench unit couldn’t hold strong, and Giannis and Khris Middleton had to return at the very end to secure the victory.
In a season where one accepts struggle, and sacrifices another potential 60-win season to tinker with lineups and add versatility, one is guaranteed ugly losses that will come as an expense. The week after the impressive performances against top tier talent, the Bucks gave up a 41-point fourth quarter to the Atlanta Hawks. They also allowed a 50-point performance to the Houston Rockets’ Kevin Porter Jr., who was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 2024 second round pick. As if blowing a ten-point leading entering the fourth quarter didn’t sting enough, Bogdan Bogdanovic sunk four threes in the fourth quarter. He was a key piece in the Bucks’ infamous illegal premature trade in the offseason. In addition, Lou Williams scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter, including four more threes. Despite the disappointment behind losing to the team with the worst record in the 2020-2021 season, the Houston Rockets, it was somehow easier to shrug this one off. Porter Jr. was selected with the Bucks’ original 30th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but the Bucks moved that pick as a part of the Tony Snell trade to dodge the luxury tax six days before the selection was made. Therefore, there’s not the same feeling of a lost opportunity compared to Bogdanovic.
Even though the standings didn’t shake out the way it would’ve appeared in the Bucks’ ideal world because of games like those mentioned against the Hawks and Rockets, the Bucks had other victories to encourage fans heading into the playoffs. For example, the Bucks defeated the potential title favorite in the Brooklyn Nets in back-to-back contests. It cannot be forgotten that James Harden had yet to return to the Nets’ lineup, but what stood out most in those two games was the diverse repertoire of the Bucks’ two-time MVP, Giannis. Especially in the first matchup, the Nets’ strategy was to play Giannis one on one, and make him beat them. Indeed, Giannis led the way for the Bucks, scoring a season-high 49 points, including four threes. In the next game, the Nets decided to bring a little more help, but Giannis still put up 36 points. Meantime, Khris and Jrue Holiday also provided 23 points each. Without a perfect close to the season, the Bucks still had the opportunity to give up their second-last game against the Heat to help their chances of facing a more favorable opponent in the New York Knicks. Obviously, that would’ve improved their chances to advance in the postseason, but if their ultimate goal is to win a championship, then it would’ve been a lame look for them to get cute with their first-round matchup.
