MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- On Monday night, April 27th, the Milwaukee Bucks' season could come to an end -- but the team is proving that it isn't satisfied just moving up from the worst team in the NBA to a .500 record.
On Saturday night, the Bucks were teetering between elimination due to missed opportunities and posting their first playoff win in five seasons. They "went to Jared," and now they are going to Game 5 in Chicago. Dudley's inbounds pass to Jerryd Bayless electrified the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Head Coach Jason Kidd stayed cool though.
"After Game 1, we all agreed that we wanted to get better in Game 2, so now we take that same commitment and hustle that we've got to try to get better in Game 5," Kidd said.
"We've gotten better in each game. We've fixed our mistakes. Defensively, we've come far, and I think we're locked in and offensively, we're passing the ball and attacking the plan and finding the open guy," Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams said.
"As a team, we wanted to win. We didn't want to get swept. Obviously, if we lose one more game our season is over. We're having such a great season with a young team and we want to keep it alive," Bucks guard O.J. Mayo said.
"These guys and their will to keep on fighting throughout the 82-game season and now in the playoffs, to try to win is something that I'm really happy I can be a part of. I'm just excited to be a part of it," Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless said.
"It's a great feeling. Whenever I make a shot or my teammates make a shot, you look at the crowd and the feeling is great. I love it, man. I was even saying on the bench how much I love this feeling and this playoff intensity," Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said.
"This one is for Milwaukee -- the city. A lot of Bulls fans came out and you see all the red -- and we're trying to strive for that, all the championships they've had, but hopefully they have a nice bus ride back home. We'll see them on Monday," Bucks forward Jared Dudley said.
The Bucks will be back in the United Center Monday night -- and that shows their unwillingness to concede -- a theme that has brought them from the worst record in franchise history and the NBA's doormat a year ago to a position of promise mixed with progress.
The Bucks play Monday night at 7:00 p.m. If they win, the playoff will be back in Milwaukee Thursday night. If the Bulls win Monday night, the Bucks' season comes to an end.