When looking back at the outstanding run of winning seasons put together by the Milwaukee Bucks under Don Nelson‘s guidance from the late 1970s through the 1980s, it’s easy to question why those teams who were dominant in the regular season could never get over the line when it mattered most.
In reality, the Bucks were one of three elite Eastern Conference teams during that period, and throughout a seven year spell of winning 50 games or more per season they only lost to two franchises in the post-season.
From 1979-80 to 1986-87, the Eastern Conference’s representative in the NBA Finals was one of the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers, with five and three appearances respectively.