Milwaukee Bucks: Time for the playoff series drought to end

With the Milwaukee Bucks taking a commanding 3-0 series lead in Detroit on Saturday night, it looks like their long drought without a playoff series win is finally coming to an end.

Things have been easy for the Milwaukee Bucks so far in the NBA Playoffs.

After two blow-out wins at home to open the series, Milwaukee went into Detroit and continued in the same vein with a 119-103 victory in Game 3.

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Given their commanding position in the series, the Milwaukee Bucks look well positioned to end one of the more notorious marks in recent NBA history. Milwaukee looks set to end their 18-year drought without a playoff series win.

Coming into the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks held the longest active streak in the NBA without a playoff series win. Their streak is tied for the fourth longest drought without a playoff series in in NBA history.

The last time Milwaukee won a playoff series was 18 years ago. The Bucks won their first round match-up that year against the Orlando Magic 3-1. They then beat the Charlotte Hornets in seven in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. It looked like the Bucks might return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.

Then, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven in the Eastern Conference Finals in one of the more controversial series of all-time.

Since then, it’s been a torturous experience for the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs.

Milwaukee have been on the end of some one-sided blow out series, losing in five to the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and 2006, and swept by the LeBron James-led Miami Heat in 2013 in the infamous “Bucks in Six” series.

On other end of the spectrum, the Bucks have had their fair share of competitive and exciting series.

Milwaukee took the Eastern Conference-winning New Jersey Nets to six games in 2003.

In 2010, Milwaukee nearly pulled off an upset over the third seeded Atlanta Hawks, taking them to seven games.

In 2015, the Bucks exceeded expectations during the regular season and took the third seeded Chicago Bulls to a sixth game before the bottom fell out.

In 2017 and 2018, Milwaukee came very close to upsetting their opponents, taking the three seed Raptors to six and the second seeded Celtics to seven.

Despite how close they came, however, one outcome was always certain. The opening round of the NBA Playoffs would end in a Milwaukee Bucks loss.

The Bucks had become a joke. No matter how good their talent was in a given season, it seemed as if Milwaukee was incapable of winning a playoff series. The Bucks were the team an Eastern Conference side wanted to face if they wanted to get out of the first round.

This year, however, this dreaded run looks like it’s finally coming to an end.

Unlike those sides, this Milwaukee Bucks team is far superior in coaching, talent, and chemistry. Their opponents are completely outmatched in every respect, something that was normally said about those previous eight Milwaukee Bucks teams.

Finally, the Bucks are a real contender, not just a team that scrapped their way into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth or on the back of a hard working, but inferior side.

With this streak looking to be on the verge of coming to an end, it may be just the first of many that this Bucks team ends this Spring.

Milwaukee hasn’t made it to the second round since 2001. They haven’t made it to the Finals since 1974. They haven’t won a title since 1971. All of these streaks have a real chance of ending.

In order to win a title, you have to take it one step at a time. Milwaukee took the first steps toward doing it with their dominant regular season. When they beat the Pistons in this series, they’ll have taken another major step.

Here’s to hoping Milwaukee can put some more of their infamous streaks to bed in the following rounds.