1989–90 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1989–90 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 22nd season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association.^[1] For the first time since the 1978–79 season, Sidney Moncrief was not on the team's opening day roster. During the off-season, the Bucks acquired All-Star guard Alvin Robertson and Greg Anderson from the San Antonio Spurs.^[2][3][4]

With the addition of Robertson and Anderson, the Bucks played below .500 in winning percentage with a 10–13 start to the regular season. However, the team won 13 of their next 16 games, and held a 27–22 record at the All-Star break.^[5] At mid-season, the team traded Randy Breuer to the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Brad Lohaus.^[6][7][8] Despite a six-game losing streak in March, the Bucks finished in third place in the Central Division with a 44–38 record, and earned the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference;^[9] the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year.

Ricky Pierce led the Bucks in scoring, averaging 23.0 points per game off the bench, and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year,^[10][11][12] despite only playing 59 games due to a wrist injury,^[13][14][15] while Jay Humphries averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and Robertson provided the team with 14.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In addition, Jack Sikma provided with 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while Paul Pressey contributed 11.0 points, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game off the bench, and Fred Roberts averaged 10.5 points per game. Meanwhile, Anderson averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, second-year guard Jeff Grayer contributed 7.7 points per game, and Larry Krystkowiak provided with 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, but only played just 16 games due to injury.^[16] Robertson finished tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[17] while head coach Del Harris finished tied in seventh place in Coach of the Year voting.^[17]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1990 NBA playoffs, the Bucks faced off against the 3rd–seeded Chicago Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant. The Bucks lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the Chicago Stadium, but managed to win Game 3 at home, 119–112 at the Bradley Center. However, the Bucks lost Game 4 to the Bulls at home, 110–86, thus losing the series in four games.^[18][19][20]

The Bucks finished tenth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 659,602 at the Bradley Center during the regular season.^[16][21] Following the season, Pressey was traded to the San Antonio Spurs.^[22][23][24]

One notable highlight of the regular season occurred on November 9, 1989, in which the Bucks defeated the Seattle SuperSonics at home in a quintuple-overtime game, 155–154 at the Bradley Center. Pierce led the team with 36 points off the bench, while Robertson finished with 28 points and 7 steals, and Sikma added 23 points and 8 rebounds.^[25][26][27]