Before an ugly injury to center Andrew Bogut, the Milwaukee Bucks were regarded as a potentially dangerous first-round playoff opponent. Fans adopted ''fear the deer'' as their rallying cry, and the Bucks had knocked off several of the NBA's top teams in recent weeks.
Now instead of patrolling the paint for Milwaukee, Bogut will be recovering from multiple injuries and surgery while his teammates continue their playoff push without him. Milwaukee can clinch a playoff berth with a win at Chicago on Tuesday, but these deer suddenly don't seem as fierce.
''Obviously, we had a day to absorb it a little bit,'' Skiles said. ''But the guys were sharp again today, and we'll see what happens. I mean, all the guys know the importance of Andrew to our team. At the same time, they also know they've got to go on right now.'' And at least the Bucks still have something to play for.
''Nobody wants to see another team's player get hurt, especially in that kind of dramatic fashion like it happened,'' Bucks coach Scott Skiles said Monday. ''Yet at the same time, there could be some teams saying, 'Man, I'm glad we don't have to play Bogut tonight.' It's part of it. Our guys all understand it. There isn't going to be anybody in Chicago shedding a tear for us that Andrew's not playing tomorrow night.''
Bogut had surgery to repair his broken right hand Monday afternoon, two days after he sustained the injury -- plus a sprained wrist and dislocated elbow -- in an arm-wrenching crash to the court during Saturday's victory over Phoenix.
Team officials said Bogut is expected to need six weeks to recover before he can begin full rehabilitation, essentially ruling him out for the season.
Bogut was having a breakout season before the injury, averaging 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
''It's really disappointing for Andrew,'' said veteran Jerry Stackhouse, a midseason acquisition for the Bucks. ''I think he's worked really hard to put this team in position to be in the playoffs, and be where we are right now. No way we'd be anywhere close to it without him. Just disappointing he doesn't get an opportunity to taste it a little bit.''
In one sense, the Bucks are right back where they were a year ago -- playing without a pair of cornerstone players, Bogut and Michael Redd, because of injuries. But they're a better team with more to play for this time around. Milwaukee currently is sixth in the Eastern Conference and would clinch its first playoff berth since the 2005-06 season by beating the Bulls.
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