1990–91 Milwaukee Bucks season
The 1990–91 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 23rd season for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Bucks acquired Frank Brickowski from the San Antonio Spurs, and acquired Danny Schayes from the Denver Nuggets. However, Larry Krystkowiak would miss the entire regular season due to a knee injury.
The Bucks started the regular season on a strong note, winning their first 18 home games on their way to a 25–8 start to the season. However, the team would lose ten of their next twelve games, and held a 30–19 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the Bucks traded scoring leader, and sixth man Ricky Pierce to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Dale Ellis. In April, the team signed free agent and former All-Star forward Adrian Dantley, as Ellis was out due to a season-ending lower back injury. The Bucks finished in third place in the Central Division with a 48–34 record, while posting a 33–8 home record at the Bradley Center, earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the twelfth consecutive year.
Ellis played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 19.3 points per game in 21 games after the trade, while Jay Humphries averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and Alvin Robertson provided the team with 13.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and led the league with 3.0 steals per game, and was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Brickowski provided with 12.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while Fred Roberts contributed 10.8 points per game, Schayes averaged 10.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and Jack Sikma contributed 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Jeff Grayer contributed 6.4 points per game, and Brad Lohaus averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, and before the mid-season trade, Pierce and Robertson were both selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was Pierce's first and only All-Star appearance, and the fourth and final All-Star appearance for Robertson. Meanwhile, Sikma was selected to participate in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, but withdrew and was replaced with Terry Porter of the Portland Trail Blazers. Robertson also finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while head coach Del Harris finished tied in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting.
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1991 NBA playoffs, the Bucks faced off against the 5th–seeded Philadelphia 76ers, a team that featured All-Star forward Charles Barkley, All-Star guard Hersey Hawkins, and Armen Gilliam. After missing the entire regular season due to his knee injury, Krystkowiak returned to play in the team's first-round series against the 76ers; however, without Ellis, the Bucks lost the first two games to the 76ers at home at the Bradley Center, before losing Game 3 on the road, 121–100 at the The Spectrum, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep.
This would also be the Bucks' final NBA playoff appearance until the 1998–99 season, as what would follow was a seven-year playoff drought. Following the season, Sikma retired.
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 16 | Terry Mills | PF | Michigan | |
| 2 | 44 | Steve Henson | PG | Kansas State |