The best thing about it being disappointing that the Bucks did not make the Finals this season is that it is disappointing that the Bucks did not make the Finals this season. Think about that. The Bucks started the season without having won so much as a first round playoff series in 18 years and finished the season a couple wins shy of playing for a championship. They won 60 games in the regular season in dominant fashion and some of them were pretty dang fun. Bit the playoffs is a whole different kind of season and for a while the Bucks looked all the part of a team that could win it all. Which is (almost, but now, not quite) all you can hope for.

10. Bucks 120 Pistons 99 — April 17, 2019 — Game 2 FR

This Is The Story: Pat Connaughton Just Blocked Another Jumper

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “The Pistons flattered Ersan by mimicking his default charge-drawing defensive strategy for much of the first three quarters. And they found some success, but never quite lived up to the original, as Ersan showed when he tempted Andre Drummond into running at him. And like always, like since about the moment the Bucks drafted him in 2005, Ersan got up just fine, while Drummond limped back the other way.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 4 — Pat Connaughton blocked four jumpers.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

9. Bucks 121 Pistons 86 — April 14, 2019 — Game 1 FR

This Is The Story: It Is The Playoffs And The Bucks Are Up By 40-Some Points

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “Every time Giannis checked out of Game 1, it was already over: Bucks 25 Pistons 10 (Giannis checks out). Bucks 48 Pistons 30 (Giannis checks out). Bucks 97 Pistons 58 (Giannis checks out). The toughest reality to confront for the Pistons and for who knows who else is that the first time Giannis checked into the game, it looked about over: Bucks 0 Pistons 0 (Giannis checks in).”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 96–54 — That was the score of a playoff game.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

8. Bucks 119 Pistons 103 — April 20, 2019 — Game 3 FR

This Is The Story: Playoff Bledsoe Looks Good

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “Similar to the first two games in Milwaukee, he made a positive impact in just about every other area. Through three games, Playoff Bledsoe 2018–19 appears to look an awful lot like Regular Season Bledsoe 2018–19, which is the best player he has ever been.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 5 — Brook Lopez block a handful of shots.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened: [Insert GIF #5 from Game Story]

7. Bucks 116 Celtics 91 — May 8, 2019 — Game 5 ECSF

This Is The Story: Bench Mob AKA George Hill Is A Hooper

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “When the same player is the best scorer in the series, and the best defender in the series, and the best rebounder in the series, and the best passer in the series, and whatever else there is, that series is probably not going to last long.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 35 — Giannis put up a +35 in 31 minutes in closeout win. Sometimes a single-game differential does not tell you much. This was not one of those times.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

6. Bucks 127 Pistons 104 — April 22, 2019 — Game 4 FR

This Is The Story: Giannis Ends Detroit

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “Late in the third quarter, the Bucks in the middle of a 17–3 run to close the period that broke the game open and broke Detroit, Reggie Miller started trying to list all the Pistons who took turns trying to guard Giannis, most of them in foul trouble, all of them in real trouble.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 41 — Giannis scored 41 points.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

5. Bucks 113 Celtics 101 — May 6, 2019 — Game 4 ECSF

This Is The Story: Giannis Scores 17 In The Fourth

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “Midway through the third quarter, the Bucks trailed in Boston and here was the scene. Giannis and Middleton were on the bench with four fouls each. Bledsoe was about to airball a straightaway three and head to the bench himself. Lopez had minutes earlier missed another three, had yet to make a shot in the game, and spent the next defensive possession shaking his head. Brogdon was sitting the game out again just like he has for the last month and a half. That was the status of the starting five that led the Bucks to a 60-win season. That was not nearly enough to prevent a customary double-digit Bucks win.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 8 — Eight Bucks played more than Giannis in the third quarter, and eight Bucks made at least one shot from the field in the third quarter. (Everyone who played except Middleton made one.) The Bucks won the third quarter 33–23.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

4. Bucks 123 Celtics 102 — April 30, 2019 — Game 2 ECSF

This Is The Story: Giannis Steps Back Up

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “Giannis turned the everywhere-Celtics defense into a nowhere-Celtics defense caught between trying to stop him going to the rim and retreating to the perimeter to open shooters. The result was that they were neither here nor there. The result was a 28–2 run that ended the game in trademark 2018–19 Bucks fashion which is to say fashionably early.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 16–0 — Giannis started a 16–0 run that gave the Bucks the game and gave them a blowout.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

3. Bucks 123 Celtics 116 — May 3, 2019 — Game 3 ECSF

This Is The Story: Giannis Takes Over The Garden

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “With less than a minute until halftime, the Celtics led by three, and master showman and greatest dribbler in the world Kyrie Irving went around the back against Giannis and glided to the rim for one of his patented finishes. Only, Giannis turned around and swatted the attempt. It was a Giannis superpowers > Kyrie superpowers moment and it foreshadowed what was to come in the second half.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 6 — Giannis directly assisted six three-pointers, something he was in the habit of doing.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

2. Bucks 100 Raptors 92 — May 15, 2019 — Game 1 ECF

This Is The Story: Brook Lopez Splashes Fire

Something I Wrote That Night Which Was A Good Night: “Lopez blocked two shots in the fourth quarter, and they were both on Kawhi Leonard. On a very related note, Kawhi did not make a shot (0–3) in the fourth quarter, as the majority of his shot attempts were blocked by Lopez.”

An Actual Stat From The Game: 11 — The Bucks missed all 11 of their third quarter three-pointers but managed to stay close and then break through in the fourth quarter.

It Is Frustrating That The Bucks Did Not Win The Finals And Maybe They Will Next Year But Anyway This Was Pretty Cool And Happened:

1. Bucks 125 Raptors 103 — May 17, 2019 — Game 2 ECF