A year ago, the Lakers traveled to Milwaukee for an early-season showdown, teams among the elite in their respective conferences measuring up against one another.
The Bucks won that game — handily, actually — a victory that ended up meaning … absolutely nothing.
By the time the NBA Finals finally arrived — and “finally” was doing a lot of heavy lifting — the Bucks had been eliminated for weeks, jettisoned by the Miami Heat after a rocky showing in the postseason. The Lakers were in the middle of their run, no team in their way standing much of a chance of keeping them from their destiny.