If the Milwaukee Bucks were my favorite team out of all of my favorite teams, I would be heartbroken right now. If the Green Bay Packers hadn't won the Super two months ago, I might be in disarray. If I didn't already think that the season was over about two weeks ago, I would be devastated by what occurred on Monday night in Charlotte. But thankfully, I've come to know that when I watch this 2010-2011 Bucks team in action, I am watching a team that just isn't destined to make the playoffs. In fact, I am watching a team that appears to be going out of their way not too.
Take the final three minutes of the Bucks game against Charlotte. The two teams were facing off just a couple of games behind the Indiana Pacers in the backpedaling race for the Eastern Conference's eighth seed, and the Bucks had led throughout pretty much the entire contest. But just as it always seems to happen this season, the Bucks had a hard time maintaining a lead in the games' final minutes. Charlotte scored the next seven points of the game, and in two minutes and forty-nine seconds, the Bucks had scored zero. Charlotte found themselves up one point with eleven seconds to go, and they had the basketball.
The Bobcats needed the win as bad as the Bucks did, but they do tried to give the game away by throwing away an inbound pass. Brandon Jennings somehow ended up stealing the inbound in what was a fluid motion of grabbing the ball, seemingly falling to the ground, but then emerging back on his feet and he drove to the hoop for the game winning lay-up. Problem was, he missed. But then another miracle! Keyon Dooling got the rebound, kicked it out to Jennings who chucked up the game winning shot and then... another miss! But then another last chance as Carlos Delfino went for the tip in with under a second left... but the ball couldn't agree with the rim and none of the Bucks final three shots went through the net. The Bucks left Charlotte empty handed, and when you couple that loss with the Pacers improbable win against the Celtics on Monday night, that all but sealed the Bucks as a 2011 lottery team.
Honestly, if this team was the number one priority of mine - if they took over my life the way that the Packers do every year, I'd be a wreck right now. The way that this Bucks team is losing is disgraceful, but it's downright laughable at times. Again, it's like they go out of their way to lose. Regrettably, I let myself get emotionally involved in the Bucks game on Saturday night against the Bulls, and was heartbroken to see them blow yet another game in the final minutes. I was actually at my girlfriend's house at the time, and she saw a side of me that night that she hadn't seen before - an irrational anger towards something I shouldn't be caring that much about.
Why do I want the Bucks to make the playoffs so bad in the first place? To watch them get swept by the Chicago Bulls as they have the four times that they've played them already this season? I don't know, I can't explain it really, but the Bucks are a team I like and I want to see them succeed. I know that an NBA Championship is unlikely for a long time for this franchise, and even a playoff series win seems years away, but I just want them to get that chance. Part of me knowing that they won't succeed is taking some of the sting out of watching them lose the way that they have been, but it still hurts. Without that humility, my pain watching this team could be a lot worse.
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