Image via Twitter / Bucks
Fiserv Forum
Cardiologists in Milwaukee may see an uptick in appointments on Thursday, because there is plenty of stress-induced heartache to go around in the city.
Thursday’s game five between the Bucks and the Miami Heat was a win-or-go-home situation for Milwaukee, and while there was plenty of tension in the air, there was always a sense that the team could rally to at the very least force a sixth game of the series in Miami. Aside from losing game one at Fiserv Forum, largely due to the abrupt absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo due to injury, the Bucks looked dominant in game two at home, and a packed crowd were hoping for a repeat performance. Instead, they saw a fairly ugly game that would take them on an emotional rollercoaster before the night was done.
Playoff basketball is all about momentum, and in the Bucks case, they were in need of some. Miami rallied back from a double-digit margin on Monday night to take their second straight game, and they kept the pressure on the Bucks in the early going on Wednesday. Neither team could establish much ground, trading baskets until late in the second quarter, when Milwaukee managed to go on a much-needed run to create some separation. The lead would be as high as 10 points, before Miami ultimately cut it back down to six at halftime.
The third quarter looked like the blow that Milwaukee needed to deliver, going on another offensive tear and quickly extending their lead to 16 points. Fiserv Forum was loud, and there was plenty of optimism in the air. However, there was always a thought in the back of everyone’s head about the collapse in game four, and that ultimately proved to repeat itself. Miami inched closer after their cold streak in the third, and an offensive sprint of their own in the final five minutes of the game made for tense times in Milwaukee. While the Bucks remained fairly calm in comparison to Monday night’s debacle, there was still a panic about the top seeded team in the Eastern Conference that created sloppy, unforced errors.
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Miami Giannis nearly threw the game away late with an errant pass that Khris Middleton was able to save by diving into the stands. Middleton later almost did the same, but was saved by a Kyle Lowry foul call. Jrue Holiday would make one of two free throws at the line, giving Milwaukee a 118-116 advantage with 2.1 seconds left, but an off-balance prayer of a tip drill from Jimmy Butler forced overtime, in the kind of play that deflated Fiserv Forum in the slowest, saddest fashion. It felt like the inevitable had come for Milwaukee.
Overtime saw a rally from the Heat, who led by as much as six before Milwaukee managed to get the game back to a two-point affair. Grayson Allen had the ball in the closing seconds, and in a frenzy that looked out of control, drove to the basket for a layup, only to have the clock run out before he could get a shot off. Milwaukee had two timeouts to use in the extra period, and chose not to take one at the most crucial, chaotic moment. Miami wins 128-126.
For the Bucks, this is a collapse that ultimately will have some repercussions in the offseason. The top-seeded team in the East, with the best regular season record in the NBA, had all of the makings of a championship contender once again, only to be punished for looking ahead to future rounds while not taking care of the task at hand. It was always going to be a difficult task to come back from a 3-1 deficit, but to lose in this fashion puts an ugly final smear on what was otherwise an impressive looking season. The future of coach Mike Budenholzer now hangs in the balance, though if you were on the internet Wednesday night around midnight when the game ended, fans were quick to tell you where he wouldn’t be by October.
It was a Bucks season full of hope, and in a week, it all crumbled. That’s the NBA in the current era, and momentum did not move in favor of the Bucks on Wednesday night.
