Name another NBA team who has had a nose dive that is at least comparable to the one suffered by the Milwaukee Bucks this season.  You can?t.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Milwaukee is the only team since the current playoff format began in 1983-'84 that was in first place in its division on the morning of March 16 then failed to make the playoffs.

On that day the Bucks, tied with the Detroit Pistons for first place in the Central Division, lost to the Pistons to break the tie.  Coach George Karl said the Pistons had more to play for as his Bucks owned a 2-1 advantage on the season, meaning an all-important tie breaker should the teams be equal at the end of the season.

"They had to beat us. And they probably have to beat us in Detroit (on April 17), although I don't know if it's going to go to the last game or not. They had to win and we didn't have to win. Maybe that was the difference in the game," said Karl on March 16.

How one month can change a scenario.  It did come down to the last game but not for the tie breaking scenario that Karl was talking about, the Pistons having already sealed the #2 spot in the East while the Bucks had to win to make the playoffs.  

As everyone knows they lost, completing a 5-14 (.263) record since that game they didn?t have to win on March 16, giving the Bucks the biggest choke in NBA history.