Bucks playoffs: 10 times the seventh or eighth seed won an opening-round playoff series
JR Radcliffe
The Milwaukee Bucks emerged from Wednesday's lopsided loss to the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 7 seed in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs, with Game 1 at noon Sunday at the TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are vulnerable, having lost Kyrie Irving with a knee injury for the rest of the year.
It's still an uphill battle for the Bucks, however. Only two teams seeded seventh or eighth have advanced beyond the second round, and only five seventh seeds (and five eighth seeds) have won a first-round playoff series since 1984, when the playoffs expanded to 16 teams and gave every team a first-round opponent. Here's a look at those stunners. (Note: In 2003, the first round was changed from a best-of-five series to a best of seven.)
Seventh seeds advancing
1987: Seattle over Dallas, 3-1. The SuperSonics gave up 151 points in the Game 1 loss but bounced back to win the next three behind future Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter Dale Ellis (29.5 points per game). The Sonics went on to beat the sixth-seeded Houston Rockets (which pulled their own first-round upset), 4-2, before getting swept by the eventual-champion Los Angeles Lakers.
1989: Golden State over Utah, 3-0. Chris Mullin (32.7 ppg.) and Tim Hardaway (25.7 ppg., 8.3 rebounds) were on point as the Warriors swept the Jazz, who had future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and John Stockton. The Warriors fell to Phoenix in the next round, 4-1.
1991: Golden State over San Antonio, 3-1. This time, Hardaway and Mullin teamed with Mitch Richmond to beat the Spurs before falling in the next round to the Lakers, 4-1.
1998: New York over Miami, 3-2. Hardaway was on the wrong side of history this time, when his (and Alonzo Mourning's) Heat fell to the Knicks. Allan Houston scored 30 points in the decisive Game 5, a 98-81 win in Miami. The Knicks then fell to the Pacers in the second round, 4-1.
2010: San Antonio over Dallas, 4-2. Manu Ginobili (19 ppg.) and Tim Duncan (18 ppg. and 9 rpg.) beat Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks before getting swept by the Phoenix Suns in the second round. It's the only example of a No. 7 beating a No. 2 since the format switched to a best-of-seven series in 2003.
Eighth seeds advancing
1994: Denver over Seattle, 3-2. History was made when an eighth seed took down the top dog for the first time, made memorable by the iconic image of Dikembe Mutombo on the floor clutching a basketball and celebrating. Mutombo had 15 points and eight blocks in the 98-94 win over Seattle in Game 5 that clinched the series. LaPhonso Ellis scored 16 points per game, one of four Nuggets in double figures during the series. Denver then pushed Utah to the brink before falling in the next round, 4-3.
1999: New York over Miami, 3-2. Milwaukee native Latrell Sprewell led the Knicks in scoring with his 16.2 points per game off the bench, and the Knicks shocked Miami with a 78-77 victory in Miami in Game 5 to advance. Houston, Patrick Ewing (who had 22 points and 11 rebounds in Game 5) and Larry Johnson were all key parts of the team that also went on to sweep the Atlanta Hawks (4-0) and edge the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, 4-2. The Knicks fell to the Spurs, 4-1, in the NBA Finals.
2007: Golden State over Dallas, 4-2. In what could possibly be seen as a singular moment in the rebirth of basketball in the Bay Area, the Warriors upset Nowitzki and the Mavericks. Former Bucks coach Don Nelson - facing his former team - led his squad to the biggest playoff upset in team history, with Dallas coming into the playoffs at 67-15 and Golden State barely qualifying for the field at 42-40. The Warriors went on to fall to the Jazz, 4-1, in the Western Conference semifinals.
2011: Memphis over San Antonio, 4-2. Even the juggernaut Spurs were not immune to a first-round upset. With Marc Gasol averaging a double-double over six games and Zach Randolph nearly bringing in one of his own (with a team-leading 21.5 points), the Grizzlies won their first playoff game in franchise history and added a series win. Oklahoma City outlasted the Grizzlies in the second round, 4-3.
2012: Philadelphia over Chicago, 4-2. This will be remembered for the injury sustained by 2011 league MVP Derrick Rose in the first game, one that took the air out of the Bulls. Still, Philly needed a thrilling Game 6 win to win the series. After Chicago's Omer Asik missed two free throws with 7 seconds left, Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala raced downcourt, drew a foul and made the clinching free throws for a 79-78 win that put the 76ers in the second round. Boston needed to work hard in the next round to put the Sixers away in a 4-3 series.