(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Milwaukee Bucks were against the ropes ahead of Game 5.
The Indiana Pacers were 5.5-point favorites before tip-off, and Doc Rivers’ team would have to fight for their lives without Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
And fight they did.
The Bucks jumped to a big lead in the second half and never looked back, making NBA history in the process.
According to Bleacher Report, they just became the first team to win a playoff game despite not having their top-two scorers from the regular season (via Matt Williams).
Bucks made playoff HISTORY tonight by getting the W without Dame and Giannis
(h/t @StatsWilliams) pic.twitter.com/nBCMYe6TwV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 1, 2024
The Bucks rallied as a team behind some stout defense and electric three-point shooting to make sure the series goes to at least six games.
They’ll now face a hostile environment when they travel to Indianapolis for a win-or-go-home matchup.
It’s been a tough season for this organization.
They fired their head coach midway through the season, and their stellar duo of Giannis and Lillard left some to be desired.
Then, they went up and down with Rivers, losing the No. 2 seed and not looking sharp ahead of the playoffs.
To add insult to injury — literally — they missed their two best players with injuries.
That speaks volumes about this team’s resiliency.
And even if they don’t manage to pull the upset off and have Rivers on the other side of a blown 3-1 lead for a change, last night’s effort should help them keep building their camaraderie and prove that they could do something special when they’re at their best.
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