1997–98 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1997–98 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 30th season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The Bucks received the tenth overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected power forward Danny Fortson from the University of Cincinnati, but soon traded him to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Ervin Johnson on draft day.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star guard Terrell Brandon, and former All-Star forward Tyrone Hill from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade,^[5][6][7] signed free agent Michael Curry,^[8][9] and re-signed former Bucks star and sixth man Ricky Pierce in December.^[10][11][12]

With the addition of Brandon, Hill, Johnson and Curry, the Bucks won four of their first five games of the regular season. However, after an 11–8 start to the season, the team posted a five-game losing streak in December afterwards, and fell below .500 in winning percentage. After holding an 18–22 record as of January 20, 1998, the Bucks recovered and posted a six-game winning streak between January and February, and held a 24–23 record at the All-Star break.^[13] However, the team dealt with injuries as Glenn Robinson only played 56 games due to a left knee injury, and was out for the remainder of the season,^[14][15][16] while Brandon only played just 50 games due to an ankle injury,^[17][18][19] and Hill only appeared in 57 games due to a knee injury, and a strained back.^[20][21][22] The Bucks struggled posting a nine-game losing streak in March, while losing 13 of their 16 games during that month, and finished in seventh place in the Central Division with a 36–46 record;^[23] the team missed the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.^[1]

Robinson averaged 23.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while second-year star Ray Allen had a stellar season, averaging 19.5 points, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and leading the Bucks with 134 three-point field goals, and Brandon provided the team with 16.8 points, 7.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game. In addition, Hill contributed 10.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, while Armen Gilliam provided with 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, Johnson averaged 8.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, Elliot Perry provided with 7.3 points and 2.8 assists per game, and Curry contributed 6.6 points per game.^[24] Curry also finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.^[25]

One notable highlight of the regular season occurred on January 2, 1998, in a road game against the 2-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Robinson and All-Star guard Michael Jordan both scored 44 points each, while Brandon and Gilliam both posted double-doubles, as Brandon scored 24 points along with 13 assists, and Gilliam contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds. However, the Bucks lost to the Bulls by a score of 114–100.^[26][27][28] Despite a stellar season, Robinson was not selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in New York City, New York.^[29][30]

The Bucks finished 22nd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 638,034 at the Bradley Center during the regular season.^[24][31] Following the season, Pierce retired after playing in his second stint with the Bucks,^[32] while Andrew Lang signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls,^[33][34] and head coach Chris Ford was fired after two seasons with the Bucks.^[35][36][37]