Giannis, Bucks Slammed by Fans for Collapse After Elimination by Jimmy Butler, Heat

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:

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 on 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 as ridiculous a game-tying shot.

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 him 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.