In their first game since the firing of general manager Larry Harris, the Bucks showed a glimpse of what could have been.
That's why Andrew Bogut found Saturday night's 109-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavilers somewhat bittersweet. The victory gave the Bucks a victory in the season series over the Cavs, who are currently in second place in the Central Division.
Bogut, to be sure, was pleased with the win. But it was disappointing to him because of the way the team played Saturday, compared to the way they played for much of this season.
"We needed something to forget about the past couple weeks," Bogut said. "Maybe, I don't think you need a reason to play the game hard. In the NBA, you may need some extra motivation at times only because there's 82 games.
"That's the disappointing thing for me, looking at this team," Bogut said. "Why can't we play like that every night? That was one of the best teams in the East. We got a big lead on them and beat them at home. There's no excuse for why we can't do that all season. It's shocking to me.
"It's great to get a win, but at the same time it shows you that we can be much better than we are."
The victory snapped a six-game losing streak that included a drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics -- a game which team owner Sen. Herb Kohl said the team played without effort -- as well as an embarrassing loss to the equally-woeful Miami Heat. Both games took place at the Bradley Center.
On Saturday, the Bucks shared the ball. They passed. They ran plays. More important, they played aggressive defense; so aggressive, in fact, that the Bucks held LeBron James to just 9-of-25 shooting a night after he became the all-time leading scorer in Cleveland history.
As a team, the Cavilers shot 37 percent from the field. On the season, the Bucks were allowing opponents to shoot, on average, at a 47 percent clip.
"We came out with a lot more energy," coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "We scrambled, we rotated, we trapped LeBron every chance that we got. We made him see some numbers, some uniforms. For the most part, they were taking contested shots."
The performance of Mo Williams was particularly surprising. The point guard scored 29 points but also found a way to get his teammates involved by dishing out 13 assists. It was one of the more complete efforts he's put in all season.
"He did a great job finding matchups for us, getting the ball to people when they were in positions," Krystkowiak said. "He did a good job in pick-and-roll. We went through two segments in the game where we ran a lot of pick-and-roll, and he made the right decision virtually every time."
With 14 games left to play in the National Basketball Association season, the Bucks, at least in their own minds, still feel as if they have plenty to play for.
Prior to Saturday night's game, Desmond Mason talked with his teammates about the passion and excitement of the NCAA Tournament. Krystkowiak urged his players to bring that energy and enthusiasm into the game and it worked, at least for one night.
At 30-44, the chances of the Bucks leap-frogging four other teams to claim the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot are slim. But as a disappointing, frustrating and oftentimes tumultuous season comes to an end, Krystkowiak's team wants to do what it still can to erase the bitter taste left in the mouths of the fans and themselves.
"We want to show fans and the NBA what this team can really do," Williams said. "Let's just focus for these 15 games and let it carry over into the summer and next season with the approach and the way we need to play."
The victory Saturday night could be the catalyst the Bucks need.
"A night like this, you don't want it to end," Williams said. "You want to take full advantage of it, take it in, instead of going home all those nights and thinking about (the losses), losing a little sleep."
