When you’re the best team in the NBA, the last game of the season means nothing. It is kind of a good feeling. You do not need to sweat out the final game of the season. Therefore, Milwaukee lost to Memphis, but it didn’t matter in the scheme of things. Did it matter more to Memphis? Absolutely. They’re in the play-in game against Portland on Saturday and have a chance to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Memphis took care of business and beat a Milwaukee team that was going through the motions, 119-106.

Player of the Game: Jonas Valenciunas – Is JoVal a Bucks killer? I feel like he has some great lines against the Bucks throughout his career, but I could be wrong here. Valenciunas scored 26 points and pulled down 19 rebounds plus handed out 12 assists. My assumption is this is his first triple-double of his career. Ironically, a former Raptors player can kill Milwaukee just like the actual Raptors too.

Honorable Mention: Donte DiVencenzo – Do y’all want a little glimmer of hope for this game? Donte played well. Despite this game meaning nothing for the Bucks, Grizzlies were full tilt, so, DiVencenzo being successful against them is a great sign. He scored 17 points and made three 3-pointers. If he can get things going, that is a huge lift for Milwaukee.

One cool thing – Coach Bud’s coaching tree thrives in year one: Trust me when I say NBA will keep a close eye on how Taylor Jenkins was immediately successful with Memphis. They weren’t supposed to be this good, and in year one, they were right outside of the playoffs. Next year, it would not surprise me if Darin Ham becomes a head coach in the NBA based on Bud’s continued success plus Jenkins succeeding.

Next up: Milwaukee takes on Orlando to start the playoffs. They’ll begin on Tuesday afternoon, and we’ll talk about the timeslots later today. Magic are not the team that arrived in the bubble. No Jonathan Issac. Aaron Gordan is banged up. Same with Michael Carter-Williams They’re a bit of a mess, so, hopefully, the Bucks can handle them with ease.

Charlie.