Magic in Milwaukee

There is something remarkable brewing in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Bucks, the six-seed in the East in these NBA playoffs, are one win away from closing out the Hawks and advancing to the second round to face the Magic. Fresh off the heels of an exhilarating comeback win on the road in Game 5 against Atlanta, the Bucks are a virtual lock to win Game 6 in front of a raucous home crowd, especially considering the astonishing road futility of the Hawks. If they do win on Friday night, it will be an awesome achievement, and a testament to this team's unyielding heart and tenacity.

Watching last night's game, the discrepancy in effort between the two teams was staggering. On one side, you had a Hawks team plagued with chemistry and confidence issues, a team that looks thoroughly dejected after something doesn't go their way. One the other side, you had Ersan Ilyasova diving for loose ball after loose ball, you had rookie phenom Brandon Jennings playing with the fearlessness of a wily veteran, you had Carlos Delfino draining an incredibly clutch three as if he's Robert-Freakin-Horry. When the Hawks held a double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter, the easy thing to do would have been to quit and look ahead to Game 6. But the Bucks kept plugging away, and they were rewarded with one of the grittiest, most impressive wins in recent playoff memory.

The Bucks may not last very long in these playoffs----they will again be the heavy underdog if they advance to play Orlando----but basketball fans should savor every moment Milwaukee steps onto the hardwood. Because what Scott Skiles has done with this team is nothing short of amazing.