YOU DON'T GET NICE THINGS WHEN YOU'RE FROM MILWAUKEE.

The Milwaukee Bucks have of late put together a championship-capable team, although there are plenty of other championship-capable teams in professional basketball.

Thus, in 2019, the team won the first two games of the conference championship series at home, and when they went to Toronto, the interviews Milwaukee radio picked up with Toronto fans before the third game started suggested the only people in Toronto who thought the Raptors had a chance were wearing Raptor uniforms.  The Raptors won four straight games and then won the league championship.

In 2020, the corona panic caught the league just before the tournament seedings were established.  After a few months' delay to develop a tournament protocol, the league and the players' association figured out a way to make some money and salvage a season with no fans in the stands.  Then an arrest went wrong in Kenosha, and the Bucks were willing to forfeit a game to call attention.  Other teams offered to walk out, also to call attention.  The league and the players made further adjustments to the playoffs, and the tournament went on.  The Bucks eliminated Orlando's Magic only to be excused by Miami's Heat.

The 2021 season got off to a late start, although with time, arenas reopened at full capacity (to the dismay of der Giftzwerg and other professional bed-wetters.)  The Bucks survived elimination by the length of a Kevin Durant toe, and made it to the championship series.  There was an ominous sign for this year.  "National news reports tie another night of yobbishness along Water Street to the title game. 'It's the latest in what has turned into a string of violent incidents in the Water Street and downtown area.'"  No shots fired, and yet, not a good look.  Despite all that, there was a championship, and some occasion for good cheer.

The correlation of forces even looked favorable for the Bucks last week.  Warm Friday night with a chance to put the Boston Celtics away in front of the home fans and a shared moment of good cheer in the Deer District outside.

But even before the Celtics survived elimination, the yobbishness came back, with live ammunition.

Milwaukee's downtown entertainment district, a space to celebrate and come together as a city, was rocked by gun violence Friday night after three shootings left at least 21 people wounded — including 17 shot in one incident.

Hours later, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson imposed a curfew in the area for Saturday and Sunday nights.

“We're going to do something about what happened here in this neighborhood last night," Johnson said at downtown's Red Arrow Park. "It will not be tolerated."

The violence hit an entertainment district that has been battered by two years of the pandemic and other high-profile incidents of gun violence, including two homicides earlier this year.

Those three public fights were in addition to the usual mostly peaceful weekend in the usual mostly peaceful neighborhoods.  The Sunday watch party was cancelled.

While these incidents took place outside of Deer District property, it clearly resonated with fans coming out of the arena and leaving the plaza. Security, health and welfare are always our top priorities for our guests and employees and we appreciate the hard work of our security team to keep our fans safe.

In order to allow law enforcement to devote needed resources to the continued investigation of last night’s events, we have decided to cancel tomorrow’s planned watch party on the plaza. Deer District businesses will remain open as usual. We continue to work with the Milwaukee Police Department and other public safety partners to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our fans.

The Friday night loss might have been demoralizing to fans, and the team might have been exhausted going into the Sunday game.  "On Sunday, some bars appeared to have steady traffic, but most were sparsely populated. Streets were quiet and the outdoor tables at most of the bars were empty."

The Celtics and the Heat will contend to represent the Eastern Conference.