Easter.
For Christians, it’s the most important day on the calendar. For American taxpayers, the weekend gave us a unique and welcome tax extension.
But for Milwaukee sports fans, it’s a bit more still.
Even for Wisconsinites born in the ’90s or later, we’ll never stop hearing (or want to) about the 1987 holiday. On that memorable day, the Brewers scored four ninth-inning runs to start the season 12-0. And mere hours after another Brewers triumph, the Bucks added another chapter to the bunny’s book of Wisconsin sports hope.
Against the hated rival Bulls, Giannis Antetokounmpo arrived with his sprinting shoes.
But, surprisingly, Chicago came to run too.
Not Without A Charge
Fans who attended the 2015 Bucks-Bulls series recall a Bradley Center full of Chicago fans in games three and four. Unfortunately, it was too late when the Bucks’ Brigade regrouped for match six.
Giannis ensured a majority-green-and-white crowd would have cheering reasons this time.
https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1515824043735220224
The Deer quickly burst to a sixteen-point lead, seemingly the scintillating first step towards a sweep.
DeMar DeRozan wouldn’t let his tough-luck Bulls franchise go down without a charge.
DeRozan — AKA Sir Flops A Lot — dipped and dived the Bulls back into the game. Selling’s a part of the game, though. If the refs (notably always the villains in the Bucks’ jumbotron video games) are inexplicably foolish enough to fall for a player’s tricks, hey, give him credit. The Bulls gradually diminished their deficit before calamity struck:
Coby White‘s personal 5-0 run for a five-point Chicago edge.
And while Bucks Lead appreciates Chicago’s economic recovery as COVID winds down, the Deer can’t let this devastation occur!
Warning: The Below Tweet Contains Content Passionate Bucks Fans May Consider Obscene
Bars in Chicago after Coby’s bucket: pic.twitter.com/C7LcFjRMJq
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 18, 2022
Like all Bulls pleasures since His Airness’s retirement, the joy proved transitory. Although Khris Middleton had a challenging day, Brook Lopez, albeit not perfect either, made the most critical bucket of the season.
https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1515857348736126980
After Zach LaVine missed a challenging three, Jrue Holiday and Middleton permanently hid victory’s eggs from Chicago.
During the Mike Budenholzer era, Bucks Lead often asked: where do the Bucks go from here after a thrilling victory?
Literally, it’s back to Fiserv Forum for game two Wednesday night. In the mind’s success theater, however, accomplishments prove abstract, though no less real for their ephemeral nature.
No one knows the future. What seemed like a sure sweep at 9-0 now proves a difficult challenge.
But not all experts are quite so worried.
“They’re Not Gonna Win A Game”
After the already super-late Suns-Pelicans thriller, Sir Charles Barkley dismissed the Bulls’ chances, even after the close call.
OK, so Barkley’s predictions often turn out wrong. But, apart from the excellent folks at Bet The Lead, whose selections turned out right after the Bucks drafted a skinny Giannis in 2013?
The game ball from Sunday’s rugged contest probably won’t enter the Naismith Hall Of Fame. But Milwaukee has a player who will.
He dismissed those who called him a “project.” He spited the scoffers in Brooklyn. And on Easter, he denied a passionate upset bid, rewarding those who snuck away from their Milwaukee families for a television glance.
Giannis leads his Bucks a quarter of the way past a proud franchise that has aged far beyond its best days. And as NBA fans prepared for sleep after a great day of basketball, TNT listed the only fact that Bucks fans need to remember as a wonderous sports spring continues:
Bucks Lead Series 1-0
Say no more.
