Miami - Everyone has this first-round series figured as a laughable enterprise, barely a bump on the Miami Heat's road to a second straight NBA championship.
Four and out for the Milwaukee Bucks at the hands of the powerful Heat.
Everyone except Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, who bravely stuck up for his team and said it would win in six games.
The Bucks are a 500-to-1 shot to win the league title, by far the longest odds faced by any of the 16 teams in the playoffs.
Milwaukee is the only playoff team with a losing record, a six-below .500 club playing the 66-victory Miami squad, the defending champion featuring LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
But for the sake of argument, what would it take for the Bucks to shock the world?
Here are five ways the Bucks could make it interesting and provide a few stunning developments in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that opens Sunday night in Miami:
The Heat ranks 30th and last in the league in rebounding, so the Bucks have a chance to get an edge there.
And Milwaukee has been a strong offensive-rebounding team all season, with Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders getting tips at the rim and keeping plays alive. Milwaukee ranks second in the league in offensive rebounding, grabbing 13.02 per game.
The Bucks will have to contend with the colorfully tattooed one, Chris "Birdman" Andersen, who was signed by Miami to address its rebounding deficiencies and has played a key role off the bench.
"We struggle more against the big power teams," Boylan said. "You look at the Heat and they have three of the top 15 players in the league, but it's not a low-post, physical interior.
"LeBron can play that role but for the most part he's all around the floor in different positions."
Bucks rookie John Henson has rebounded well in the last few weeks, including a 25-rebound game in Orlando, and will get a chance to contribute. He grabbed 18 rebounds in the first meeting with Miami in November.
"They're a little smaller down low but they do have good rebounders in Birdman, (Udonis) Haslem, good-sized bodies down there," Sanders said. "We're pretty long, too.
"We have to stay active on the boards, stay in that paint and get clean rebounds, get out on the break. And let our guards take care of the rest."
