The Milwaukee Bucks, THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS, are 1 win away from a championship.

I had a texter this morning say that the Ted Davis call on the alley-oop was up there with Brian Anderson’s call of Ryan Braun’s home run against the Cubs in 2008. I would have to agree. The hometown radio/TV call is ALWAYS electric. And especially when you consider how long Ted Davis has been the lead voice on Bucks Radio Network broadcasts. He came on in 1997. He got a little jolt from the George Karl Era from 1999-2001, but it’s been mostly suffering since then. He lived through the Terry Porter Era, he remembers a time when Mo Williams was our best player, he called games when the biggest offseason debate was whether or not to extend Charlie Bell. And he couldn’t turn them off. So you can hear it in his voice on a call like that. It’s genuine and authentic joy. To be the primary voice for all of those crap seasons, and then to get to call iconic plays in the NBA Finals?? Can’t help but feel great for him.

And how about that PLAY! Series tied at 2, Game 5, on the road, Bucks clinging to a 1 point lead, Suns ball with 20 seconds left. And he comes up with the THEFT on a player the caliber of Devin Booker. But after the steal, basketball 101 dictates that you try to play a little keep-away, but wait for someone to foul you. Hopefully you knock down a pair of free throws to make it a 3 point game with about 10 seconds left. But not on Saturday night. Holiday took a MAJOR risk, lobbed it to Giannis, and both of them become a part of Finals lore. Imagine if that pass is off?? Or Giannis can’t finish while getting shoved?? There were so many ways for that to go wrong, but it didn’t. It just exemplifies the trust these guys have in each other. They are locked in. What a picture:

And noted actor, LeBron James, in the front row for it all. Side note: I realize that LeBron and Chris Paul are friends, so he’s there to support his friend. But could you ever imagine a world where Michael Jordan would have gotten front row tickets to be a spectator at an NBA Finals game??? Not a chance in hell. You could tell MJ that his mom’s life is in the balance and the only way to save her is to attend an NBA Finals game and this would be his reaction:

Just a really weird move by LeBron, but I suppose that isn’t surprising. But the fact that he’s a part of that photo makes it a million times better. LeBron as a spectator, watching Giannis, who refuses to be a part of LeBron’s Mean Girls club, dunk on Chris Paul in a crucial moment of an NBA Finals game. Inject it into my veins.

And we’ve all been waiting for a game where Jrue/Khris/Giannis were all cooking together, and we finally got it. At the end of the day, this was the Jrue Holiday Game, but all three were knocking down shots and coming up clutch in massive moments. Pat C and Bobby off of the bench were tremendous, but if the Bucks have Jrue/Khris/Giannis all having big nights, there aren’t a lot of teams that can compete with that. As evidenced by the fact that the Suns lost a game where they shot 55% from the field, 68% from beyond the arc, and 91% at the line.

So, the Bucks head home with a chance to win their first title in 50 years. I still can’t believe I’m typing those words, honestly. Now I know the thinking is that it’s going to be an all-day party, and the Bucks are going to take care of business on their home floor. I *MOSTLY* feel like that. But I’m also a Bucks fan. And a Wisconsin sports fan. So I’m always emotionally preparing for the worst. The Suns are going to come out like a wounded animal. Their backs are against the wall and they’re going to play like it. Nothing about this is going to be easy or stress-free. I feel like this Bucks team is different, and will recognize all of that going in, and be able to handle themselves. But you never know. The crowd inside and outside of Fiserv is going to be bananas. The Brewers changed the start time of their game to make sure there’s no overlap. Let’s have a day!

PS: This guy cannot be real life:

How is that an actual person. At least it led to this:

Actually laugh out loud funny.