It's probably overkill that I am writing about the Bucks-Hawks series for the third time in as many days but to be honest, I have invested more in this series than ever before. Already I was pretty much all in on the NBA this year, now it's official. Despite the bad first-round games, I have watched a ton of them and really like where the league is headed even though it will be locked out after next year... ugh let's continue.
And then there was a Game Seven. I credited myself with the Game 5 victory and I will credit myself with the Game 6 defeat. I wore a Desmond Mason jersey for most of the game, which were the old Buck colors and had the stench of Larry Harris all over it. I never should of put it on for the game, I should have worn red like I had initially planned. If the third quarter didn't exist tonight, the Bucks may have been alright.
It's pretty sad when you have to compare the Bucks performance to late 90s New York Knicks who couldn't hit sand if they fell off a camel and even the Knicks would have played better than the Bucks in that third quarter. I couldn't understand why the Bucks took every 18-22 footer they saw when they weren't falling and wouldn't attack the basket even if the fouls weren't going their way. It ranks right up there with the most frustrated I have been watching basketball in the past couple years with so many ill-advised shots, I thought we relapse to game 1 like Mike on the Sober House. The disappointing thing of the whole game is the Hawks had one good quarter and half, other than they played like shit.
The Bucks had them on the ropes ready to deliver the knock out punch after Carlos Delfino started spraying threes but once again, the Bucks went quiet. I said today that if the Bucks could pull away in the first half, they would be golden and headed to Florida for game one on Sunday, it didn't happen and now I worry that Sunday might be the last day we watch professional basketball in Milwaukee.
I am not waving the white flag, but it's hard to argue with the numbers plus one thing Hawks' Head Coach Mike Woodson figured out. At the Highlight Factory (great nickname for a stadium by the way, top five), the Hawks have won 14 of their last 15 games there and seemingly play two times better basketball at home minus that fourth quarter on Wednesday. The other big concern is Woodson woke up as a coach, he finally realized his best defender on Brandon Jennings is Joe Johnson. When I heard Mike Trico of ESPN say Johnson was on Jennings, I said "Shit they figured out Mike Bibby is on life support on D." If the Hawks continue this approach, Milwaukee will be in big trouble.
All of this being said, I still think the Bucks could win today. The biggest key will be the offensive rebounding of the Hawks. If Atlanta gets as many reloads as they got in the last game, this one will not be even close. I am interesting to see if we will see Joe Johnson Game 5 or Game 6 version and if Jamal Crawford steps up again the way he did in Game 6. The Bucks need to come out with some passion and energy from tip-off because that will be the best way to keep themselves in the game.
FEAR THE DEER.
-Charlie.
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