The 1989–90 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 22nd season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association. For the first time since the 1978–79 season, Sidney Moncrief was not on the team's opening day roster.

Season summary

Off-season During the off-season, the Bucks acquired All-Star guard Alvin Robertson and Greg Anderson from the San Antonio Spurs.

Regular season With the addition of Robertson and Anderson, the Bucks played below .500 in winning percentage with a 10–13 start to the regular season. However, the team won 13 of their next 16 games, and held a 27–22 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Randy Breuer to the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Brad Lohaus. Despite a six-game losing streak in March, the Bucks finished in third place in the Central Division with a 44–38 record, and earned the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference; the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the eleventh consecutive year.

Ricky Pierce led the Bucks in scoring, averaging 23.0 points per game off the bench, and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, despite only playing 59 games due to a wrist injury, while Jay Humphries averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and Robertson provided the team with 14.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In addition, Jack Sikma provided with 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while Paul Pressey contributed 11.0 points, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game off the bench, and Fred Roberts averaged 10.5 points per game. Meanwhile, Anderson averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, second-year guard Jeff Grayer contributed 7.7 points per game, and Larry Krystkowiak provided with 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, but only played just 16 games due to injury.

Robertson finished tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while head coach Del Harris finished tied in seventh place in Coach of the Year voting. The Bucks finished tenth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 659,602 at the Bradley Center during the regular season.

NBA playoffs In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1990 NBA playoffs, the Bucks faced off against the 3rd–seeded Chicago Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant. The Bucks lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the Chicago Stadium, but managed to win Game 3 at home, 119–112 at the Bradley Center, in which Robertson scored 38 points. However, the Bucks lost Game 4 to the Bulls at home, 110–86, thus losing the series in four games.

Notable highlights One notable highlight of the regular season occurred on November 9, 1989, in which the Bucks defeated the Seattle SuperSonics at home in a quintuple-overtime game, 155–154 at the Bradley Center. Pierce led the team with 36 points off the bench, while Robertson finished with 28 points and 7 steals, and Sikma added 23 points and 8 rebounds.

Aftermath Following the season, Pressey was traded to the San Antonio Spurs.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 2 30 Frank Kornet PF Vanderbilt

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot

Game log

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 1 || November 3, 1989 || @ Boston | L 114–127 |Ricky Pierce (35)

| Boston Garden14,890 | 0–1 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 2 || November 4, 1989 || @ Philadelphia | W 102–96 |Paul Pressey (21)

| The Spectrum13,893 | 1–1 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 3 || November 7, 1989 || Boston | W 106–100 |Fred Roberts (26)

| Bradley Center15,079 | 2–1 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 4 || November 9, 1989 || Seattle | W 155–154 5OT |Ricky Pierce (36) |Randy Breuer, Ben Coleman (9) |Jay Humphries (10) | Bradley Center14,012 | 3–1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 5 || November 11, 1989 || Philadelphia | L 96–104

| Bradley Center17,465 | 3–2 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 6 || November 14, 1989 || San Antonio | W 108–97

| Bradley Center14,120 | 4–2 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 7 || November 16, 1989 || Orlando | W 132–113

| Bradley Center13,298 | 5–2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 8 || November 17, 1989 || @ Detroit | L 79–106

| The Palace of Auburn Hills21,454 | 5–3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 9 || November 21, 1989 || @ Washington | L 91–97

| Capital Centre11,721 | 5–4 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 10 || November 22, 1989 || Atlanta | W 118–100

| Bradley Center15,124 | 6–4 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 11 || November 25, 1989 || @ New York | L 108–125

| Madison Square Garden18,212 | 6–5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 12 || November 27, 1989 || Indiana | L 97–101

| Bradley Center15,124 | 6–6 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 13 || November 29, 1989 || @ L. A. Clippers | W 117–103

| Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena12,306 | 7–6 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 14 || November 30, 1989 || @ Denver | L 102–103

| McNichols Sports Arena8,727 | 7–7

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 15 || December 2, 1989 || @ Golden State | L 98–101

| Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena15,025 | 7–8 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 16 || December 5, 1989 || @ Sacramento | L 103–118

| ARCO Arena17,014 | 7–9 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 17 || December 8, 1989 || @ Phoenix | L 103–118

| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum12,409 | 7–10 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 18 || December 10, 1989 || Portland | L 103–118

| Bradley Center15,124 | 8–10 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 19 || December 12, 1989 || Orlando | W 106–103

| Bradley Center14,276 | 9–10 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 20 || December 13, 1989 || @ Cleveland | L 93–99

| Coliseum at Richfield13,331 | 9–11 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 20 || December 15, 1989 || @ Indiana | W 103–98

| Market Square Arena10,495 | 10–11 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 21 || December 16, 1989 || Miami | L 96–99

| Bradley Center15,715 | 10–12 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 22 || December 19, 1989 || Boston | L 86–95

| Bradley Center15,182 | 10–13 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 24 || December 22, 1989 || Cleveland | W 112–100

| Bradley Center17,854 | 11–13 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 25 || December 23, 1989 || @ Minnesota | W 94–90

| Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome23,249 | 12–13 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 26 || December 26, 1989 || Houston | W 103–96

| Bradley Center15,945 | 13–13 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 27 || December 29, 1989 || @ Detroit | W 99–85

| The Palace of Auburn Hills21,454 | 14–13 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 28 || December 30, 1989 || Minnesota | W 109–99

| Bradley Center17,924 | 15–13

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 29 || January 2, 1990 || @ Atlanta | L 107–113

| Omni Coliseum11,676 | 15–14 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 30 || January 3, 1990 || @ New Jersey | W 110–96

| Brendan Byrne Arena6,890 | 16–14 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 31 || January 6, 1990 || Chicago | W 118–111

| Bradley Center18,633 | 17–14 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 32 || January 8, 1990 || Charlotte | W 126–113

| Bradley Center14,178 | 18–14 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 33 || January 10, 1990 || @ Cleveland | W 116–100

| Coliseum at Richfield15,369 | 19–14 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 34 || January 12, 1990 || L. A. Clippers | L 94–95

| Bradley Center17,901 | 19–15 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 35 || January 13, 1990 || @ Indiana | L 109–111

| Market Square Arena12,180 | 19–16 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 36 || January 16, 1990 || Golden State | W 134–126

| Bradley Center18,633 | 20–16 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 37 || January 18, 1990 || @ Washington | W 115–112

| Capital Centre12,414 | 21–16 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 38 || January 19, 1990 || L. A. Lakers | W 103–102

| Bradley Center18,633 | 22–16 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 39 || January 21, 1990 || Miami | W 123–101

| Bradley Center15,017 | 23–16 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 40 || January 23, 1990 || @ Portland | L 90–119

| Memorial Coliseum12,884 | 23–17 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 41 || January 24, 1990 || @ Seattle | W 119–112

| Seattle Center Coliseum10,903 | 24–17 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 42 || January 26, 1990 || @ L. A. Lakers | L 91–100

| Great Western Forum17,505 | 24–18 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 43 || January 27, 1990 || @ Utah | L 96–144

| Salt Palace12,616 | 24–19 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 44 || January 30, 1990 || Sacramento | W 109–102

| Bradley Center13,682 | 25–19

|-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 45 || February 1, 1990 || Orlando | W 129–111

| Bradley Center14,113 | 26–19 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 46 || February 2, 1990 || @ Philadelphia | L 109–119

| The Spectrum15,383 | 26–20 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 47 || February 4, 1990 || Philadelphia | L 102–105

| Bradley Center17,964 | 26–21 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 48 || February 6, 1990 || @ Boston | W 119–106

| Hartford Civic Center15,239 | 27–21 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 49 || February 8, 1990 || Detroit | L 101–104

| Bradley Center17,204 | 27–22 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 50 || February 14, 1990 || Denver | W 127–117

| Bradley Center13,829 | 28–22 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 51 || February 18, 1990 || Chicago | L 88–111

| Bradley Center18,633 | 28–23 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 52 || February 20, 1990 || New Jersey | W 106–103

| Bradley Center14,065 | 29–23 |-style="background:#bbffbb;" | 53 || February 22, 1990 || Dallas | W 109–97

| Bradley Center15,136 | 30–23

Playoffs

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | April 27 | @ Chicago | L 97–111 | Alvin Robertson (22) | Brad Lohaus (7) | Jay Humphries (12) | Chicago Stadium18,676 | 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | April 29 | @ Chicago | L 101–109 | Paul Pressey (25) | Greg Anderson (10) | Paul Pressey (12) | Chicago Stadium18,676 | 0–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | May 1 | Chicago | W 119–112 | Alvin Robertson (38) | Alvin Robertson (8) | Paul Pressey (12) | Bradley Center18,575 | 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | May 3 | Chicago | L 86–110 | Alvin Robertson (20) | Lohaus, Anderson (8) | Alvin Robertson (4) | Bradley Center18,633 | 1–3

Player statistics

Season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Ricky Pierce 59 0 29.0 51.0 34.6 83.9 2.8 2.3 0.8 0.1 23.0 Jay Humphries 81 81 34.8 49.4 30.0 78.6 3.3 5.8 1.9 0.1 15.3 Alvin Robertson 81 81 32.1 50.3 15.4 74.1 6.9 5.5 2.6 0.2 14.2 Jack Sikma 71 70 31.7 41.6 34.2 88.5 6.9 3.2 1.1 0.7 13.9 Paul Pressey 57 2 24.6 47.2 14.0 75.8 3.0 4.3 1.2 0.411.0 Fred Roberts 82 66 27.3 49.5 18.2 78.3 3.8 1.8 0.7 0.310.5 Brad Lohaus 52 17 26.0 45.8 38.0 70.1 5.5 2.0 0.8 1.310.0 Greg Anderson 60 28 21.5 50.7 0.0 53.5 6.2 0.4 0.5 0.98.8 Jeff Grayer 71 40 20.1 46.0 12.5 65.1 3.1 1.5 0.7 0.17.7 Larry Krystkowiak 16 7 23.8 36.4 0.0 78.8 4.8 1.6 0.6 0.17.0 Randy Breuer 30 8 18.5 46.2 0.0 62.7 4.2 0.4 0.3 1.16.8 Ben Coleman 22 0 13.9 47.4 0.0 82.9 4.0 0.5 0.3 0.3 5.7 Tony Brown 61 10 10.4 42.7 25.0 67.9 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.1 3.6 Mike Dunleavy 5 0 8.6 28.6 22.2 87.5 0.4 2.0 0.2 0.03.4 Jerry Sichting 1 0 27.0 0.0 0.0 75.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.03.0 Gerald Henderson 11 0 11.7 42.3 42.9 100.0 1.1 1.2 0.7 0.0 2.5 Frank Kornet 57 0 7.7 36.8 25.0 61.5 1.2 0.4 0.2 0.12.0 Tito Horford 35 0 6.7 29.0 0.0 62.5 1.7 0.1 0.1 0.5 1.5

Playoffs