Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers owns a minority share of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, and this week he must be excited about that investment. On Wednesday night, the Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics 116 to 91, completing a five-game series victory and earning a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. And while Rodgers was predictably in the house for the win as someone with a personal and financial stake in the team, other Packers players and elite athletes from around Wisconsin have become big supporters of the Bucks as well. Take David Bakhtiari, for example. The California guy who played college football at Colorado is suddenly a fan favorite at Fiserv Forum. The All-Pro left tackle one-upped his beer chugging from the first round on Wednesday, as you can see in today’s curds below. For Packers fans in Wisconsin, it’s a blast to see all of the state’s pro sports teams bonding together. There were some similar signs of this last year when the Brewers made the National League Championship Series, and hopefully the Packers will be able to make a deep run in 2019 so the Brewers and Bucks can return the favor at Lambeau in January. Milwaukee vs. Boston: Bucks Eliminate Celtics, 116-91 | Brew Hoop Congratulations to the Bucks, who have advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in 18 years, and congrats also to our SB Nation colleagues over at Brew Hoop. There's something special brewing in Milwaukee, folks. Former Packers back MacArthur Lane dies at 77 | Packers.com There is some news about a former Packer today, as we send our best wishes to Lane’s family. Lane and John Brockington were a fearsome pair of runners in the early 1970s, with both players inflicting punishment on defenders thanks to their big, 220-plus frames. NFL experts predict - Answering the 2019 draft's biggest questions | ESPN In Packers rookie news, former Packers safety Matt Bowen sees new Packers safety Darnell Savage as a perfect pick for this year's defensive rookie of the year award. Savage gets a second vote from NFL writer Kevin Seifert as well. Interesting PFF stats to know about the Packers in 2019 | Packers Wire These are interesting. For example: Davante Adams gained the most receiving yards on third down of any NFL player in 2018. He also helped Aaron Rodgers record a 141.4 passer rating when running post routes. Now let’s get back to the foolishness that happened at Fiserv Forum last night. Here’s David Bakhtiari doing what he does best (besides protecting Rodgers, of course): Aaron’s reaction is perfect here, too. But in the Conference Finals, Bakhtiari will have to up his game, maybe chugging a full one-liter beer stein. If the Bucks advance to the NBA Finals, I’m not sure what he’ll have to do to top that. A boot, perhaps? Meanwhile, Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was at the game as well, putting the reigning NL MVP in the building along with the two-time NFL MVP and the player who should be NBA MVP this year in Giannis Antetokounmpo. This sure sounds like a Designated Survivor type of situation. Rest up, Wisconsin sports fans. There’s a lot to be excited about right now.<doc-sep>Milwaukee has punched its ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals where it awaits the winner of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between Toronto and Philadelphia. For an idea of the potential matchup, take a look back at the Bucks regular-season series with each team. The Bucks await the winner of the series between the Raptors and Sixers With a Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics, the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Bucks now await the winner of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the No. 2 seed Raptors and No. 3 seed Sixers. As Milwaukee boasted the league's best regular-season record in 2018-19, it had its fair share of success against both Toronto and Philadelphia, compiling a record of 5-2 against the two teams. Let's revisit each of the Bucks' seven matchups with two of the East's elite… Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors (Bucks won season series 3-1) Oct. 29, 2018, at Milwaukee: Bucks 124, Raptors 109 As both Giannis Antetokounmpo (concussion protocol) and Kawhi Leonard (load management) sat, Milwaukee used a balanced team effort to hand Toronto its first loss of the season. Ersan Ilyasova led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon each scored 17 points apiece and All-Star forward Khris Middleton shot 4-for-9 from beyond the arc to finish the game with 14 points and eight assists. Serge Ibaka led the shorthanded Raptors with 30 points (on 12-for-21 shooting) while Pascal Siakam finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the loss. Kyle Lowry shot 3-for-14 from the field for nine points but managed to dish out 15 assists and grab six rebounds. Dec. 9, 2018, at Toronto: Bucks 104, Raptors 99 With both Giannis and Kawhi active for the second meeting, it became a true battle for Eastern Conference supremacy. Milwaukee would again emerge victorious thanks to a balanced effort led by Antetokounmpo, who finished the night with 19 points, 19 rebounds and six assists. Six other Bucks would score at least nine points with Brook Lopez (19 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (18 points) providing the biggest boosts on the offensive end. Serge Ibaka again led the way for Toronto, this time with 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in 32 minutes of action. In his first meeting against the Bucks, Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Fred VanVleet scored 19 points off the bench and Pascal Siakam added 17 but Kyle Lowry was held scoreless in 34 minutes of action. Jan. 5, 2019, at Milwaukee: Raptors 123, Bucks 116 Despite getting just five points from its bench, Toronto earned its lone win over Milwaukee at Fiserv.Forum just five days into the new year despite a big performance from Antetokounmpo. Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with 30 points apiece while Serge Ibaka continued his impressive play against the Bucks with 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists on the night. Danny Green scored 12 points in 40 minutes of action while Fred VanVleet finished with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds as he started in place of Kyle Lowry. In a losing effort, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a monster stat line of 43 points and 18 rebounds in 40 minutes of action. Malcolm Brogdon (15 points), Eric Bledsoe (14 points), Khris Middleton (14 points), Sterling Brown (11 points) and George Hill (11 points) all made solid contributions which ultimately weren't enough. Jan. 31, 2019, at Toronto: Bucks 105, Raptors 92 In the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams, the Bucks again held the Raptors under 100 points in a road win that ended the team's 10-game win streak at Scotiabank Arena. Again, Milwaukee used a balanced offensive attack to defeat Toronto led by 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists from Giannis Antetkounmpo. Led by 18 points from Khris Middleton, six Bucks outside of Antetokounmpo (Wilson, Bledsoe, Lopez, Brogdon and Hill) finished the game scoring in double figures. Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with 28 points (on 12-for-19 shooting) while Kawhi Leonard struggled from the field, scoring 16 points on 7-for-20 shooting. Serge Ibaka shot just 4-for-15 from the field but recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double and the trio of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell each scored 10 points apiece. Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Bucks won season series 2-1) Oct. 24, 2018, at Milwaukee: Bucks 123, 76ers 108 Just one week into the 2018-19 regular season, Milwaukee hosted a much-different Philadelphia roster that still featured Robert Covington, Markelle Fultz, Mike Muscala, Dario Saric and Landry Shamet. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee as he recorded a monster triple-double with 32 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with three blocks and two assists. Khris Middleton (25 points), Brook Lopez (21 points) and Eric Bledsoe (18 points) also finished in double-figures as the Bucks cruised to a 15-point win in which they scored 49 points in the second quarter. The Sixers were led by 30 points, 19 rebounds and six assists from Joel Embiid while Ben Simmons recorded a triple-double of his own (14 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) and JJ Redick scored 19 points and dished out six assists in a reserve role. Mar. 17, 2019, at Milwaukee: 76ers 130, Bucks 125 The Sixers wouldn't face the Bucks for nearly another five months as their second meeting of the season came in mid-March. It was an instant classic. Joel Embiid finished the game with 40 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals and was only outdone by Antetokounmpo, who scored a career-high 52 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out seven assists on the game. The Sixers benefitted from 27 points from Jimmy Butler, 19 points from JJ Redick and 12 points from Tobias Harris, giving the Bucks a very different look than what was present early on in the season. Ben Simmons scored just eight points to go along with nine rebounds and nine assists but had a memorable moment when he and Antetokounmpo traded poster dunks. After Giannis, the Bucks were led by 19 points from Khris Middleton and 14 points from Brook Lopez as they used the same starting lineup that brought them success in the second round against the Celtics. Apr. 4, 2019, at Philadelphia: Bucks 128, 76ers 122 A little over two weeks later, the Bucks made their way to Wells Fargo Center to get their revenge. Giannis Antetokounmpo would see to it that it happened. Milwaukee's MVP finished with 45 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and five blocks on the game and Khris Middleton added 22 points to lead the way. George Hill contributed 20 points off the bench after Eric Bledsoe was ejected just three minutes into the game. Joel Embiid recorded a triple-double with a team-high 34 points to go along with 13 rebounds and 13 assists while JJ Redick scored 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the field. Mike Scott scored 22 points thanks to hitting six of his eight 3-point attempts while Ben Simmons scored six points but dished out 13 assists. Jimmy Butler was inactive for the game as he dealt with a sore back.<doc-sep>YOUR MILWAUKEE BUCKS ARE GOING TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2001. With a 116-91 victory, the Bucks eliminated the Boston Celtics and marched onto the next round of the NBA playoffs, where they’ll meet either the Toronto Raptors or Philadelphia 76ers. When that’s the case and the hometown team is on the verge of making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in nearly two decades, you expect it to be loud — and there was no time wasted in Fiserv Forum to start this one off. The Bucks would quickly leap out to an 8-0 lead, with an Eric Bledsoe three capping off the quick run. However, Boston would weather the storm despite 3-of-16 combined shooting from Kyrie Irving and Al Horford. A George Hill three at the end of the quarter would hand the Bucks a 22-19 lead. The good news in the second quarter? Boston would end the half shooting just 25.5 percent from the floor. The Bucks weren’t shooting much better, but nonetheless, they’d pace themselves enough to get a 52-39 advantage advancing to the third quarter. Nikola Mirotic would highlight the scoring after two periods with 10 points. Eric Bledsoe had nine of his own and George Hill matched him off the bench. The third quarter would fluctuate a little bit of ugliness between the two teams at times. However, the Bucks would land the majority of the punches and use a few runs to really start putting the nails into the Celtics’ coffin. It wouldn’t be much longer until Boston finally rolled over and went belly-up, ultimately waving the white flag and providing the Bucks a path to the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s time to celebrate, Milwaukee. Soak it in. Despite the Bucks winning in blowout fashion, Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with a calm 20 points. He’d flirt with a triple-double while doing so, racking up eight rebounds and eight assists. Khris Middleton splashed home 19 points and Eric Bledsoe added 18 of his own to the mix. Kyrie Irving led the Boston Celtics with 15 points. Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris matched one another with 14 apiece. Three Observations Welcome back, Malcolm! The wait is finally over — Malcolm Brogdon has returned to the basketball court. It was a welcomed sight by all Bucks fans, and he was rightfully greeted with a standing ovation as he stepped out onto the hardwood for the first time in weeks. I have to admit — I thought he was going to be much rustier than how he appeared. Thankfully, I was wrong. He seemed to move just fine from my vantage point. Obviously, he’s not caught up to speed completely. That’d be hard to do after missing so much time and then being thrown right into the action. However, all things considered, he held his own pretty well. All in all, Brogdon would go 4-of-8 from the floor and stack up 10 points, strung together with three rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes of action. After the game, Budenholzer said that it was a little more than he was expecting to play him, but he welcomed the opportunity. Now, he’ll receive a few more days to catch his rest and heal up even more before the Eastern Conference Finals. This Bucks defense is so entertaining to watch. We all know the point where this series turned. Following Game 1, it was clear that an adjustment was to be made, and it was with the Bucks switching. But man, it’s insanity just how lockdown the Milwaukee defense was last night, and really, for this entire series. It was so hard for Boston to organically develop any good shot off in any of the games these two teams faced off. When last night’s game wrapped up, here’s how the Celtics’ shooting display would end up: 29-of-93. My, oh my. Those numbers look so awkward sitting next to one another. For those without a calculator near you, I’ll do the quick math. That’s 31.2 percent. I’m really excited to see just how far this defensive effort from Milwaukee can go, especially if they go up against Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors in the ECF. Kyrie Irving was a total disaster. We all know the storyline with this one, but it never gets old. Following his Game 3 performance, Irving told the media that he wouldn’t shoot 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) from the floor again. He then proceeded to shoot 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from the field in Game 4. When he was asked about that performance, he muttered, “Who cares?” Then, last night, Kyrie put the cherry on top with a 6-of-21 performance (28.6 percent) — oh, if only he took one more shot. I guess in the long run, he was right. I mean, he didn’t have an 8-of-22 line from the floor the rest of the series. All jokes aside, he really was an utter disaster. For a man to hype himself as much as he did during the postseason and during offseason interviews, disappointing is an understatement if you’re a Boston fan. But, my saying for whenever a Boston sports team is eliminated from the postseason rings loud and clear — “What a terrible night for Boston...and therefore, a great night for everyone else.” Bonus Bucks Bits Fiserv Forum absolutely brought it. After the Bucks quickly jumped out to an 8-0 lead, it was deafening. I don’t think I’ve heard the arena get any louder than it did than when Eric Bledsoe splashed home that baseline three early on. It was literally a phenomenon. The noise was just swirling in my ear. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced anything like that — and we haven’t even played a game in the Eastern Conference Finals yet. Plenty of time to kick it into a higher level. SERIOUSLY, BUILD THIS MAN A STATUE NOW. After his legendary performance from chugging a beer during the Detroit series, Packers offensive lineman David Bakhtiari was once again shown on the jumbotron and did what he does best: David Bakhtiari back on the jumbotron...and he chugs not one, BUT TWO beers. Build this man a statue now. — Gabe Stoltz (@Stoltzy3) May 9, 2019 Our friend Eric Buenning (former writer at Brew Hoop) immediately pitched an idea following Bakhtiari’s efforts the first time around: A pitch: For each round the Bucks advance, the bigger the container @DavidBakhtiari has to drink out of https://t.co/TQ57oVNeck — Eric Buenning (@ericbuenning) April 18, 2019 Last night, two beers were chugged. I think Das Boot is on deck for the Eastern Conference Finals. Jayson Tatum was on the back of my milk carton this morning. Anybody know who I call? After having such a magnificent series vs. the Bucks last year in the playoffs, he’d average just 12 points a game this year — and boy, did he look lost a majority of the time. George Hill, baby. I don’t even know what else to say about him. From going as an afterthought in a move that many interpreted strictly as cap relief for the Bucks, he goes and outplays Kyrie Irving. Last night, he continued to shine with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting (3-of-6 from deep). That man continues to produce, and I can’t wait to see his contributions in the ECF. I guess if there was one negative thing to take away from this game and the series in a nutshell, it’d be the play of Brook Lopez. He never really developed a consistent conversion from deep this series, and failed to hit any shots last night (0-for-7 on seven 3-point attempts). Budenholzer was asked about it postgame, and he pretty much shrugged it off and attributed it to the game of basketball — sometimes you make them, sometimes you miss and that he’s just going through a bit of a rough stretch. I’m banking on him to turn it around next round. Say it with me, folks. PUMP. THIS. INTO. MY. VEINS. My heart. Oh, my heart.<doc-sep>
The Milwaukee Bucks are advancing to the Eastern Conference finals. The top-ranked Bucks finished off the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Wednesday night, 116-91, to wrap up their second-round playoff series. They'll now move on to their first conference finals since 2001. Although Game 5 was an elimination game for the Celtics, it was one-sided almost from the beginning as Boston vastly struggled to shoot, converting on just 31.5 percent of its field-goal attempts. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while Kyrie Irving drastically struggled -- again -- on 6-of-17 shooting from the field while going 1-of-7 from 3-point range for 15 points. It'll be a long offseason for the Celtics as they await Irving's free agency decision and figure out which direction they need to head into in order to take that next step into becoming a championship contender. Meanwhile, the Bucks will await the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers-Toronto Raptors series with Game 6 taking place on Thursday night. Here are a few takeaways from the Bucks' series-closing Game 5 victory: Irving stinks it up on offense We all know that the Celtics have been up and down all season long. However, after their first-round sweep of a pesky Indiana Pacers squad and a convincing Game 1 defeat over the Bucks at Fiserv Forum, a lot of people were sipping on the Celtics' Kool-Aid. However, it became readily apparent -- especially in Game 5 -- that the Celtics' offense was one dysfunctional unit. While the Celtics struggled as a whole, the spotlight was entirely on Irving -- the self-proclaimed leader of Boston. As the one member of this squad who has actually won a championship ring, one would assume that Irving would lead the team in the right direction in an elimination game -- except he did the exact opposite. His final numbers were atrocious, but his shot selection was even worse. He repeatedly took ill-advised shots, many of them contested by much taller defenders such as Antetokounmpo, and he started out the first half shooting 5-for-17 -- putting the Celtics in a 13-point hole they would never recover from at halftime. The veteran point guard's night was summarized perfectly by this air ball: Irving converted on 25-of-85 field-goal attempts (30.1 percent) and 7-of-32 (21.8 percent) from 3-point range in the final four games of the series -- all Celtics losses. If this is the series that is going to cement Irving's legacy in Boston, it did -- for all of the wrong reasons. Bucks win despite Giannis not having huge impact Although Giannis' final numbers were rather solid, we all know those aren't near what the Greek Freak is capable of putting up. Furthermore, the final stat line is completely misleading as the Bucks dominated this game throughout -- even when Antetokounmpo wasn't doing much. During the first half, Giannis scored just six points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field to go along with six assists. Yet, the Bucks still led by 13 points at halftime as the Celtics converted on just 26 percent of their field-goal attempts in the opening half. Long story short, it was the Bucks' supporting cast along with their stifling defense that won them this game. Six other Bucks scored in double figures, including three players off the bench, led by George Hill's 16 points. Khris Middleton also had a sensational all-around game with his 19-point, eight-rebound, five-assist performance. If Antetokounmpo receives this type of support from his teammates, this Milwaukee squad will remain a very hard team to beat -- even for the Golden State Warriors. Celtics came out defeated from the get-go While the Celtics were technically still in the playoffs when Game 5 tipped off, the majority of the team had apparently already checked out after their Game 4 loss on Monday night. The energy from this Celtics squad was lethargic from the beginning and, with the exception of Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart, everybody had packed it in. In a trend that continued throughout this series and finally culminated with their Game 5 defeat, Boston players refused to move the ball around to create easy shots for their teammates. Entering this game, Boston was averaging 22 fewer passes and 4.5 fewer assists in the postseason than they averaged during the regular season.