The Miami Heat pulled off one of the most incredible first-round upsets in NBA history thanks in large part to Jimmy Butler, an exceptional playmaker.
On Wednesday night in Game 5, Butler scored 42 points and the Heat made their second consecutive dramatic fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 128-126 in overtime.
The Heat overcame a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game on Butler’s layup with half a second left in regulation, matching their performance from two nights prior when they defeated the Bucks 119-115 in Miami by outscoring them 30-13 in the final six minutes.
With 2.1 seconds left in the game, the Heat were down 118-116 and called a timeout while coach Erik Spoelstra drew up a play. Butler voiced his disapproval of what he observed. Later, Spoelstra had a change of heart and set up the game-tying play, which involved Butler waiting beneath the rim and receiving an inbounds pass from Gabe Vincent. This forced overtime.
The Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 earlier on Wednesday, moving on to a second-round matchup with the fifth-seeded New York Knicks. Sunday in New York is the first game.
With 4:44 remaining in overtime, Bam Adebayo scored a putback of Butler’s failed driving layup attempt to give the Heat a permanent lead. Grayson Allen drove to the basket with the Bucks down 128-126 and possession of the ball in the final seconds, but time ran out before he could attempt a shot.
Adebayo scored 20 points, grabbed 10 boards, and made 10 assists. Adding 22 points, Gabe Vincent.
Although he only made 10 of 23 free throw tries, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 38 points and 20 rebounds. An additional 33 points came from Khris Middleton.
When asked whether the team’s first-round playoff departure deemed this season a failure after the game, Antetokounmpo objected.