Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls: Five Takeaways from Games 1-5

Apr 25, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless (19) celebrates with center Zaza Pachulia (27) and guard Khris Middleton (22) after scoring the game -winning shot against the Chicago Bulls in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Bucks beat the Bulls 92-90. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

5. The Bucks Are Going to Play Hard… No Matter What

It’s been the mantra all season among players — Jason Kidd makes the team play hard. In a season of injuries, streaks of good and bad, dramatic roster shake-ups, and generally inconsistent play, the one thing that has remained consistent throughout is just plain effort.

And this series has proven no different. Even during the winless three game start to this series, the Bucks would absolutely not go away.

Even when Rose was looking close to MVP Rose in Games 2 and 3, even when Jimmy Butler couldn’t miss if he tried in Game 4, and even when Tony Snell nearly willed the team to victory on his own in the 4th quarter in Game 3, the Bucks’ effort (specifically defensively), has been enough to keep them in it.

In the first three games, optimal effort with subpar offensive execution wasn’t enough to will the team to victory. But when the effort is paired with a surge from the bench (Game 4) or an efficient and dominant MCW (Game 5), the Bucks actually look like a team that shouldn’t have been taken so lightly to begin with when looking at this series.

Even if the Bucks don’t move away from this series with a win, fans can’t be anything less than happy with the fight and resiliency this young team has shown in the series thus far. And if we’ve learned anything about Coach Kidd, we’ll likely see this continue for the rest of the series, and onto the coming years for this team.

Next: Should The Milwaukee Bucks Look To Own The Present?

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