Red Region
(4) Marques Johnson defeated (13) Bob Lanier
(5) Bob Dandridge defeated (9) Junior Bridgeman
In a side of the bracket that has played out exactly to seeding, Marques Johnson and Bob Dandridge are set to meet in what could certainly be one of the closest matchups of the entire bracket to date.
Both are obvious franchise legends whose names and numbers are immortalized in the rafters of Fiserv Forum, although their routes to that status are markedly different. Dandridge was the supporting star on a team that won it all, while Johnson was an ultra bright star whose peak in Milwaukee sadly didn’t stretch for even longer.
An undoubted advantage that Johnson has, not just in this matchup but the overall bracket, is his current popularity and visibility. That undoubtedly influenced the lop-sided final margin of the poll in his matchup against his former teammate Bob Lanier.
For Dandridge, a comfortable win over a player and personality of Bridgeman’s status may also say something about his resonance as a key figure in the wider Bucks zeitgeist in 2019 too, though.
This battle of the two most recent players to have their numbers retired in Milwaukee should make for a fascinating snapshot of how two very different Bucks legacies are perceived.
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