Chapter 346: Chapter 81: The Test

After the first game of the Western Conference Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals series also kicked off in Boston.

The Milwaukee Bucks, having struggled mightily to eliminate the Washington Bullets, once again encountered the Celtics.

As a perennial third-place team, the Bucks were able to hold their own against the Celtics, aside from being bullied by the 76ers.

The earliest grudge between the two teams dates back to the distant 1976, when the Bucks were still in the Western Conference and lost a seven-game battle in the Finals against the Celtics.

After Alcindor left for Los Angeles, the Bucks began to rebuild under Nielsen, and they were moved to the Eastern Conference in the 1980s, starting the rivalry with the 76ers and Celtics.

There is a reason the Bucks have always been the underdog: besides a lack of talent, the guard-centric Bucks, facing Celtics' strong frontcourt and equally impressive backcourt defense, could hardly find any breakthrough.