The No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks ended their season much earlier than anyone expected on Wednesday night, losing Game 5 to the Miami Heat to lose the series 4-1 — becoming just the fifth one-seeded in history. the NBA opening the playoff series.
Milwaukee had a chance to win Game 5 in overtime – but Grayson Allen’s gaffe with the passage of time was a fittingly sad end to their season.
Two points down with seconds left on the clock, Giannis Antetokounmpo dribbled the ball downfield before tripping and throwing a pass to Khris Middleton.
Middleton held onto the ball, but double-teamed – and passed the ball to Allen on the perimeter.
As the seconds ticked away, Allen faked a shot, but then decided to drive to the basket – because time was running out.
He was unable to finish a game-tying shot before the clock expired.
Game over, series over.
Allen, who has become a major villain in the NBA for dirty antics dating back to his college career at Duke, naturally took the brunt of the social media pranks.
“Grayson Allen with the worst hesitation since Alexander Hamilton,” Barstool Sports’ Frank Fleming wrote on Twitter.
Twitter user Dylan Goforth posted a GIF of Michael Scott dribbling in circles on one knee from “The Office,” with the caption, “Grayson Allen stared 2 points behind with 0.9 seconds left.”
With the loss, the Bucks became the first single seed in the NBA playoffs to drop the opening series since the Spurs did so in 2011, losing to the No. 8 Grizzlies in the first round.
The Heat, led by another brilliant performance from Jimmy Butler (42 points, eight rebounds and four assists), now take on the Knicks in the second round after New York defeated Cleveland in five games of their series in the first round.
Butler hit a circus layup in the last second of regulation to force overtime.
After the game, Antetokounmpo was asked if he thought Milwaukee’s season was a bust.
“It’s not a failure; they are steps to success,” said Antetokounmpo. “There are always stairs leading up to it. Michael Jordan played for 15 years, won six championships. Was the other nine years a failure? That’s what you tell me?
“It’s the wrong question; there is no failure in sports. There are good days, bad days. Some days you are able to be successful, other days you are not. Some days it’s your turn, some days you don’t. And that’s what sport is all about. You don’t always win. Sometimes other people win. And this year someone else is going to win, it’s that simple.”
