1988–89 Milwaukee Bucks season

The 1988–89 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 21st season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association. This was also the team's first season playing at the Bradley Center, after they moved there from the Milwaukee Arena, otherwise known as "The Mecca". The Bucks had the 13th overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Jeff Grayer out of Iowa State University. During the off-season, the team acquired Fred Roberts from the Miami Heat expansion team.

However, Grayer only played just eleven games this season due to being diagnosed with the chicken pox, and suffering two knee injuries. The Bucks struggled with a 3–4 start to the regular season, but soon recovered posting a six-game winning streak in January, and later on held a 30–15 record at the All-Star break. The team finished in fourth place in the Central Division with a 49–33 record, and earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Terry Cummings averaged 22.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while sixth man Ricky Pierce averaged 17.6 points per game off the bench, and Jack Sikma provided the team with 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, and also led them with 82 three-point field goals. In addition, Larry Krystkowiak averaged 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Paul Pressey provided with 12.1 points, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game, Sidney Moncrief also contributed 12.1 points per game, and Jay Humphries averaged 11.6 points, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Meanwhile, Grayer contributed 7.4 points per game during his short 11-game stint, and Roberts provided with 5.9 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Cummings was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his second and final All-Star appearance. Cummings also finished tied in 17th place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Pierce finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, Krystkowiak finished tied in seventh place in Most Improved Player voting, and head coach Del Harris finished tied in seventh place in Coach of the Year voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1989 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Bucks faced off against the 4th–seeded Atlanta Hawks, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Dominique Wilkins, All-Star center Moses Malone, and Reggie Theus. After losing Game 1 to the Hawks on the road, 100–92 at the Omni Coliseum, the Bucks won the next two games, which included a Game 3 win over the Hawks at home in overtime, 117–113 at the Bradley Center to take a 2–1 series lead. However, the Bucks lost Game 4 to the Hawks at home in overtime, 113–106 as the Hawks evened the series. The Bucks won Game 5 over the Hawks at the Omni Coliseum, 96–92 to win in a hard-fought five-game series; this marked the last time the Bucks would advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs until the 2000–01 season.

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Bucks faced off against the top–seeded, and Central Division champion Detroit Pistons, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer. However, due to injuries to Cummings, Pressey and Krystkowiak, the Bucks lost the first two games to the Pistons on the road at The Palace of Auburn Hills, and then lost their next two home games, including a Game 4 loss to the Pistons at the Bradley Center, 96–94, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep. The Pistons would advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, and defeat the 2-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in a four-game sweep in the 1989 NBA Finals, winning their first ever NBA championship in franchise history.

The Bucks finished seventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 700,984 at the Bradley Center during the regular season. Following the season, Cummings was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, and Moncrief retired after ten seasons with the Bucks due to continuing knee problems. Shortly after the regular season began, team owner Herb Kohl was elected to the first of four terms representing the United States Senate in Wisconsin.