Deer Has Been Feared

Let's go back to the Milwaukee Bucks-Atlanta Hawks Game 5 fourth quarter, the Bucks are down six at this point... I am sitting on my computer looking mindlessly at various tweets and then realize that I am nowhere focused enough so I put my computer down, then switch my snus from my left upper lip to my right lip... There you have how the Bucks won because they went on that crazy roll after that.

If you were to tell me in November that I would be pumped in the morning looking forward to the game tonight, I would reply with 'yeah and I am jumping off of the Chippewa River for shits and giggles.' Seriously, every fan of Wisconsin professional sports has bought in and now makes even more especially with how piss-poor the Milwaukee Brewers have been (we aren't going there... yet).  People want to see this team advance as far as possible and Friday could be the knockout punch for the Atlanta Hawks.

Scott Skiles deserves all the credit in the world, and I am willing to bet maybe a couple of the bigger markets might want to lure him in. I hope this isn't the case but I could totally see a team have an admiration for what he is doing. Skiles figured out a way to have an ability close out a playoff series with Kurt Thomas and Dan Gadzuric as their big men, amazing.  Not to mention, the Bucks' version of Mark Titus (Primoz Brezec) gets a ton of clock with Thomas/Gadz get into foul trouble, yet he still made a basket late.  I love everything Skiles has done this playoff series.

What's funny about a deep playoff series is you begin to hate the opposing team. I mean I had no beef whatsoever with Atlanta, actually sort of like them... Mike Bibby invokes memories of those Sacramento Kings teams of the early 2000s, love Josh Smith's game (poor man's LeBron doesn't get the credit), and Al Hortford is a great post player. Except for Hortford, I really cannot stand Bibby/Smith.

Bibby is getting exposed every night defensively by Brandon Jennings, and no one is calling him out for it. Does Jennings need to drop 40 for everyone to realize, wow Mike Bibby is way past his prime?  Just because the guy still rains threes and has a tendency to make clutch baskets, doesn't mean the media has to bit their tongue about his atrocious defense. 

Smith is a whole other situation, he first runs his mouth about Milwaukee, which I addressed in the last post and the other thing, the guy whines more than a spoiled rich kid that doesn't get his/her way. Every call that goes against Smith, he thinks is the worst call in America that night (arguably if it's Dick Bavetta or Joey Crawford, it might be.) and the crazy thing is... he hasn't got a technical!  I swear he has done Rasheed Wallace-level bitching and not been T'd up is beyond me. If there is one thing I hope for Game 6 other than a Bucks win is seeing a ref hit Josh Smith with a technical hopefully Squad 6 will encourage this. 

The crowd will be a fever pitch for multiple reasons: 1.) First close-out game since 2001, 2.) Friday Night , 3) Early start (6 PM) meaning the beers will be flowing from various bars around the Bradley Center by about 3 pm. This will be an unruly crowd and wanting blood from the Hawks. To think, I could have went. I got offered twice to buy tickets before Game 5, and turned it down due to money issues plus a three and a half hour drive. All of the things I cited above make me yearn to be in Milwaukee tonight, a lot like it was two years with the Brewers short playoff stint. I really regret not taking both of my friends up on this opportunity but I know I will be heavily intoxicated by the final buzzer hopefully celebrating in a victory.



One thing I worry about tonight is the fact the Bucks might get swept up in all of the emotion and come out flatter than Kate Moss (look her up, yes there are naked ones). I could totally see it happening but the other thing I could see the Hawks struggling mightily.  They are a team full of head cases I am starting to believe that Milwaukee can struggle and still be okay.  Both teams might come out tight and the true question will be who comes out of it?  As my buddy E told me, "If the Bucks don't win tonight, no way they win in Atlanta." Completely agree. 

-Charlie.