Thursday, May 23, 2019

Milwaukee/Toronto The worm has turned

OK, so I'm an idiot. It wouldn't be the first time, and likely not the last.

Yep, I had the Milwaukee Bucks easily getting past the Toronto Raptors in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals.

Hey, didn't the Bucks have the best regular season record in the entire league? And would therefore enjoy home court advantage in this series?

And aren't the same team that had cruised through the playoffs so far?

Yes, the opening round against the gawd-awful Detroit Pistons, who had no business -- NONE -- being in the playoffs was a predictable romp.

And after they mysteriously lost the first game, at home, no less, against the Boston Celtics, in the conference semis -- didn't they come roaring back to blister the Beaners four in a row?

And didn't they easily win the first two games against the Raptors?

And take them to double-overtime in Game 3 in Toronto before just falling short?

But then the wheels seemed to fall off for the Bucks.

The worm has definitely turned.

They were themselves routed by the Raptors in Game 4, and the Toronto defense, notably one Kawhi Leonard, put the clamps on alleged super-star Giannis Antetokoumpo. He was shut down, befuddled, and even harassed by a Drake at courtside.

True, yours truly has never understood the fascination so many people have over a dude that named himself after a duck -- but what do I know?  It seemed to work out for that insurance company -- Aflac -- right? Quacks, I tell ya. Sorry.

Still, the series was only tied 2-2, and would be heading back to beer city. Surely, they would right their ship?

Nope, they got beat again, semi-handily, and those pesky visitors from north of the border, the only non-American NBA team, appear to be firmly in control.

Game 6 is back in Toronto, which will be a hoser madhouse. After the last three games, it's mighty hard to believe the Bucks can go into Toronto and win such a big game.

And I don't think they will. Look for another blow out, and the Raptors moving on to face the defending champs Golden State in the Finals.

Maybe the Dubs will be happy with that, or maybe not.

They'll still have to cede home court advantage in the Finals, but gone is the worry about trying to negate the "Greek Freak" mentioned above without a healthy Kevin Durant, who remains out with a lingering calf injury.

Sure, home court or not, the Warriors would have been a heavy favorite against either the Bucks or Raptors. They travel well. Ask the Houston Rockets how Game 6 of their series worked out. Or the Portland Trail Blazers that got taken to the woodshed on their home court while being swept.

It's starting to shape up like a three-peat for the Dubs and another parade in Oakland.

Or I could be wrong.

After all, I'm an idiot.

And I think that's where I came in.













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