Milwaukee Bucks set to rehash playoff history with Atlanta Hawks

Milwaukee Bucks take 1st round series over the Atlanta Hawks in 1989 NBA Playoffs

The Bucks and Hawks concluded their first round run-ins throughout the 1980s during the 1988-89 season. For the second straight year, it was a 4-5 matchup after the Hawks had compiled a 52-30 record and the Bucks held a 49-33 record, their best under then-coach Del Harris.

Game 1 went in favor of the Hawks in what was a 100-92 victory at Omni Arena. The Bucks countered back with a big 108-98 victory to even up the series at 1-1 as it went back to Milwaukee.

With the series shifting back to the Bradley Center, the Bucks took Game 3 with a 117-113 win, thanks to a 35-point performance from Bucks super-sub Ricky Pierce. That’s the most points scored by a Bucks reserve in a playoff game, per StatMuse.

The Hawks answered back and squashed any plans the Bucks had in a celebrating a series victory by taking a 113-106 win to send the series back to Atlanta for yet another do-or-die Game 5. It didn’t disappoint, especially for Bucks fans as Milwaukee got past the Hawks with a 96-92 victory to reach the Conference Semifinals and a date with that season’s NBA champions, the Detroit Pistons.

It proved to be the Bucks’ last playoff series victory for 13 years until they broke that slump during the 2000-01 season.