Giannis, Bucks Slammed by Fans for Collapse After Elimination by Jimmy Butler, Heat
Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRT
Featured Columnist IVApril 27, 2023
The Milwaukee Bucks, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, are done after just five games. They can thank Jimmy Butler for that.
The Miami Heat superstar was spectacular yet again in Wednesday's 128-126 Game 5 overtime win, scoring 42 points to go along with eight rebounds while ending Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks' season.
The Greek Freak countered with 38 points and 20 rebounds, but his struggles from the free-throw line (10-of-23) were a huge factor in the loss.
And NBA Twitter couldn't believe what it saw:
Marc Stein @TheSteinLineThe team with the best record in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thisleague?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thisleague</a> and a title as recently as two years ago has closed in the fourth and OT like it's their first playoff game. <a href="https://t.co/6tlUWyPop7">https://t.co/6tlUWyPop7</a>
Kevin O'Connor @KevinOConnorNBAWhat a collapse by the Bucks. Awful half court offense with too many stagnant post ups. Giannis took some goofy pull ups. Awful coaching by Budenholzer—not using the timeout, not keeping Lopez in to protect the rim on the game-tying lob, and so many tactical choices.<br><br>Why didn't… <a href="https://t.co/kuMIUsuat5">pic.twitter.com/kuMIUsuat5</a>
Josh Reynolds @JoshReynolds24Hope you're sitting down…<br><br>Giannis got to the line 23 times tonight. TWENTY. THREE. He made 10 of them. 10-23.<br><br>Once again…<br><br>GIANNIS ATTEMPTED TWENTY THREE FREE-THROWS TONIGHT & ONLY MADE TEN OF THEM. Not a single human on this app calling him a free-throw merchant… 23!!!!!!!!
Middleton played an admirable Robin to Giannis' Batman in the defeat, putting up 33 points, six rebounds and six assists of his own. But Butler and the Heat just had all the answers.
Milwaukee took a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter and led by 10 with seven minutes remaining, but the Heat refused to roll over. Butler scored 10 straight points himself in a two-minute span late in the fourth quarter to pull the Heat even 111-111 with 2:07 remaining.
The Bucks took a four-point lead with 14 seconds remaining after a pair of Jrue Holiday free-throw makes. But Gabe Vincent sank a three, the Heat won a challenge after a scramble on the inbounds play that forced a jump-ball at half court, the Bucks won possession and Holiday only made one free throw on the ensuing possession. That left the Heat with the chance to win or tie with 2.1 seconds remaining.
And Butler further added to his legend, making a ridiculous game-tying shot.
Sam Vecenie @Sam_VecenieI just have so many questions on that end of regulation sequence for Milwaukee. Why is Giannis guarding the inbounds instead of guarding the rim? Why did Budenholzer not use the TO at the end? Why was Giannis on the court for the jump ball with how poorly he's shot FTs today?
The Bucks fought back from a seven-point deficit of their own in overtime and had the ball back down two with five seconds remaining. But a scrambled possession led to Grayson Allen with the ball in his hands, and he failed to get a shot off before time expired.
And so the Bucks are going home in what can only be described now as a failure of a season. Yes, injuries that cost Giannis two games and most of a third played a huge role. But in the two full games he did play, the Bucks went 0-2.
Win those, and the Bucks are up 3-2 in the series, not eliminated. Those excuses won't cut it—Milwaukee choked, and the NBA community knows it.
