That "Uh-oh" feeling

 The partisans in Milwaukee the other night, they could see the future. Sometimes the road ahead is a constant surprise, full of blind hairpin turns and reverse-camber corners; sometimes it runs straight as a string and you can see where it leads from miles off.

The partisans got the latter the other night, or thought they did. Because what were they chanting, after their Bucks sent their playoff series with Indiana back to Indianapolis with an unacceptably easy 23-point win?

"Bucks in seven ... Bucks in seven ... Bucks in seven ..."

Could be they're right. 

Could be they're wrong, but only if the Pacers get over blowing -- and I mean really blowing -- the perfect setup for a close-out two nights ago.

Leading 3-1 in the first-round series, playing a crippled Bucks team without their two biggest stars, the Pacers simply ... didn't show up. They not only let the Bucks off the hook, they unscrewed it from the wall for them. Darn, that looks uncomfortable. Lemme dig out my Phillips and take it down.

You don't go very far in the playoffs with a deficient killer instinct, and apparently that's what these Pacers have.  revealing stat: In beating the Pacers the other night, the Bucks became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game without their two top two scorers (in this case, the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, both looking on in streets from the bench). And they won it by 23 points.

Yikes. And also, whoa, what th- and good grief, Pacers.

They pounded the Bucks three times in the first four games, but then they exhaled a game early. Now it's not too much to say Game 6 in Indy tonight is a must-win situation for them, because it pretty much is a must-win situation.

That's because the partisans are right: If the Bucks can take the series back to Milwaukee for Game 7, the Bucks will win. Two extra days of rest would mean Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard likely would be back in the lineup, for one thing. And for the second thing, the third thing, and the fourth thing, too.

All together now, Indy folk: Uh-oh.