Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking the 10 greatest seasons in franchise history

5. 1980-81 season

60-22, lost 4-3 in Conference Semi-finals

Having shown real flashes of potential in a competitive first round loss and a 49-win campaign in the previous season, the Bucks still managed to exceed all realistic expectations for how they’d perform in the 1980-81 season.

Marques Johnson continued to develop, while Junior Bridgeman and Bob Lanier stood out as in their prime contributors, yet undoubtedly the biggest development for Milwaukee was the way Sidney Moncrief flourished in his second season.

With no end to steady guard and wing play, and a proven veteran center, the Bucks provided an incredibly difficult game for any opponent they came up against, while seven players averaging between 11.6 and 20.3 points per game illustrated the team style that was prevalent under Don Nelson.

Milwaukee’s stellar regular season secured a bye to the Conference Semi-finals, although considering how things played out from there, hindsight begs the question of whether that was really an advantage at all.

While the Bucks were resting, the 76ers defeated the Indiana Pacers to set up a date with Milwaukee. For all of the Bucks’ brilliance, the 76ers had won 62 regular season games of their own, making them an incredibly formidable foe.

In a series where Marques Johnson battled recurring back spasms, the momentum ebbed and flowed before Philadelphia ultimately managed to advance behind what was a heartbreaking, one-point Game 7 defeat for the Bucks.