A scant few days ago it would have been hard to believe. The Milwaukee Bucks had trounced the Toronto Raptors the first two games of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals, and it had taken the Raptors two overtimes, at home, to barely pull out Game Three.
Wasn't Milwaukee the same team that had posted the best regular season record in the whole league? The team that had only lost back to back games once all season? And therefore had home court advantage, where they're formidable, to boot?
No way they were going to lose this series.
Until they did.
In one the the biggest collapses in recent memory, the Bucks were taken down three more times in a row after their narrow Game Three loss.
There will be no joy in Beerville USA. Only finger pointing. How could this happen, and who's fault was it?
Or -- it might just be the Raptors are pretty damn good themselves. The "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokoumpos was thoroughly stymied by the smothering defense of one Kawhi Leonard. And Milwaukee's so-called "depth" didn't step up and produce when it mattered most.
So now the Raptors move on to face the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The "north of the border" team will even have home court advantage.
Could they pull off another "upset"?
Maybe.
But I wouldn't count on it.
The Dubs, with or without one Kevin Durant, who remains a "maybe", are a whole different animal than the Bucks.
Yours truly hasn't seen the early line yet, but I'd bet when it does come out, the champs will be highly favored to three-peat.
But ya never know.
Wouldn't it be something if the Raptors could pull off another improbable series upset -- this time capturing an NBA title?
The hosers would go wild in the streets, ay?
But I'll believe THAT when I see it.
Nonetheless, bring it on.
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