SAN ANTONIO VS. LOS ANGELES PHILADELPHIA VS. MILWAUKEE

Monday, June 4 Bucks bummed but upbeat about future Associated Press ST. FRANCIS, Wis. -- The Milwaukee Bucks came within a jump shot of reaching their first NBA Finals since 1974. "We lost the fifth game. We were one missed shot from winning," lamented owner Herb Kohl. "Had we won that, we probably would have won the series." But Glenn Robinson's miss at the buzzer in Game 5 that allowed Philadelphia to escape 89-88 wasn't the only factor that kept the Bucks from a date with the Los Angeles Lakers. They failed to put away the sickly Sixers while Allen Iverson's hip joint was aching and his shots weren't falling. After holding the league's MVP in check for 23 quarters, Iverson scored 70 points in the final 60 minutes, including 44 in the Sixers' 108-91 victory in Game 7. "We had great chances," general manager Ernie Grunfeld said. "Unfortunately, we didn't make a shot when we needed to or protect the ball as much as we needed to. But we can't take anything away from our players. We played with a lot of heart and we're going to learn from this and come back better for it." As the Bucks cleaned out their lockers Monday, they found plenty to be proud of and lots to look forward to. "We know we had a good year, but we're not satisfied with our year," Robinson said. "We felt we could have played a lot better and went a little farther. But sometimes you have to experience losing in order to win." The Bucks rebounded from a 3-9 start to win their first Central Division crown in 15 years, and the core players are locked up for the long term. "From December on we just played basketball with a vengeance," Sam Cassell said. "It was something sweet man, winning 52 games this year. People didn't expect us to do that, starting off 3-9. People thought we were going to fall flat on our face. "But that shows the camaraderie on this ball club and the makeup of this team." Grunfeld's only two major offseason priorities are fashioning new contracts for Cassell and power forward Scott Williams, who was suspended from Game 7 for a flagrant foul on Iverson. "We expect positive resolutions to both of those things," Grunfeld said. Cassell has two years and $9.2 million left on his contract, but wants a deal befitting his role in guiding the Bucks to the cusp of the finals. "I did my part," Cassell said. "I took us where I told them I would. And now it's up to them to step up and do the right thing." The Bucks hold an option on Williams, their sparkplug who wants three more years tacked onto his contract. Grunfeld plans minor tweaks to his roster, he said, because he has high hopes for Joel Przybilla, Jason Hart and Michael Redd next season. The Bucks, who hadn't won a playoff series since 1989, gave the Sixers all they could handle until Game 7, when Williams had to watch from his hotel and Ray Allen -- who secured his stardom this season -- hurt his right knee. Allen, who was still limping Monday, said he would see an orthopedist Tuesday, but didn't expect a diagnosis worse than a sprain. "I'm fine," he said. "If we were going to L.A., I would be playing." Allen said the Bucks were toughened by the gritty playoff series. "We definitely have thicker skin for what we've been through," he said. Milwaukee is now one of the league's prime locales, Allen added. "We're out there now. Milwaukee is not just an NBA doormat anymore," he said. "We're going to compete with the best teams in the NBA and maybe we'll see our jerseys and our faces around the league a lot more than we did over the last five years." Robinson said the Bucks are better for having come so close. "We got a chance to make it to the finals and that should be a great incentive for us to work on our games this summer and come back better," he said. And coach George Karl said the series with the Sixers, while heartbreaking now, will show dividends down the road. "It was a hell of a series," Karl said. "My team learned a lot about playoff basketball." Such as? "How important one shot is," Karl said. One short shot for Robinson, one monumental miss for Milwaukee. "I'm going to always remember it," Robinson said. "But it's not going to hurt my game. I've made some big shots and I've missed some big shots. It all balances out." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

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