The Miami Heat pulled off one of the most impressive upsets in NBA history, with a second stunning fourth-quarter rally against top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks to win Game 5 in overtime and advance to the second-round series against the New York Knicks. Led by the extraordinary playmaker Jimmy Butler, who scored 42 points and even called the winning play, the Heat became the sixth No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in NBA playoffs, averaging 38.4 points in the series. Despite being outscored 30-13 in the final six minutes of Game 4 and facing a 16-point deficit in Game 5, Miami showed resilience and grit to make it through. The team’s coach Erik Spoelstra, who earned his 100th career playoff coaching victory, praised Butler’s urgency and maniacal will to win. The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 20 rebounds, but it was not enough to keep his team’s season alive. Wesley Matthews returned to action for the Bucks after missing three playoff games due to a right calf strain. While the Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer regretted not calling a timeout with half a second left in regulation after Butler’s basket, Antetokounmpo’s view was that there’s no failure in sports.
