Down seven against Memphis with seven minutes to play, Scott Skiles called a time out and brought his team to the sideline.
The Bucks' head coach had a simple message for his players:
"I told them that this is a big moment in our season," Skiles said. "We looked a bit tired and had to fight our way through."
And the Bucks, staring at a possible three-game losing streak, did so ... again.
Milwaukee rallied back for a 108-103 overtime victory that snapped the skid and, even more importantly, helped solidify a growing belief that, no matter the circumstance, this team can find a way to win.
It began with confidence. It became a little bit of a swagger. Now, it's just a belief. That's natural when a team wins 16 of its last 20; and steps closer to clinching its first playoff berth in four seasons. It's what happens when a team picked to finish last by many experts buys into a coach's system, develops a chemistry and starts winning games at a regular clip.
For a team that's been beaten around and hasn't sniffed much success since a thrill run to the final game of the Eastern Conference Finals nine years ago, such a belief and feeling is an obvious statement that the franchise, after nearly a decade of wayward meandering through the National Basketball Association's wasteland, is finally taking legitimate steps back towards relevance and competitiveness.
The Bucks' success, obviously, is a result of talented players. Andrew Bogut has proven that he is emerging into a big-time, NBA center. Brandon Jennings has shown his abilities time and time again this season, even while undergoing the expected rookie learning curve.
John Salmons? What can you say about a guy that has often taken over the team for stretches at a time -- and scored 10 of his 29 points Sunday in the fourth quarter and regulation? Keep going down the line, and you'll find talented players. They may not be All-Stars, but they're talented players.
Beyond talent, though, these guys generally work well together. They like each other. They like their coach. They like what they're doing.
And they believe.
"We believe we can win, night in and night out," says point guard Luke Ridnour. "Whether we do or don't, we believe we can win every game.
Doubters need only look at the final ten minutes of regulation and overtime for further proof. Even after Brandon Jennings was whistled for a foul that let Memphis tie the game with 2.1 seconds left, the Bucks didn't fold; something that might very well have been the case for previous teams.
"We didn't get demoralized," says Skiles.
Added Ridnour: "We understand what's at stake. We had to turn the ship around. That was a big moment for us to show what we've done all year; we found a way to fight back and win the game."
Calling Sunday's game a "must-win" wouldn't be completely accurate. But Skiles, in assessing its importance during that late time out, was right on target. The homestand was in danger of wrapping up in disappointment. The team, through injuries, illness and sloppy play, was starting to look like it might start slipping down the playoff pecking order.
Once again, the players stepped up and answered the call.
"Every team, at one point or another, goes through a stretch where they don't play well for a few games," says Bogut, who played 44 minutes Sunday and finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, despite missing the previous game with a sore back. "Hopefully we're past that now."
