Giannis Antetokounmpo watches game-5 from the bench, unable to recover from the ankle injury sustained in the fourth game of the series, which was later won with a show of pride by his teammates. The Bucks season ends with a surprising elimination in the conference semifinals, without their MVP on the pitch.
After the failed match point in Game-4, due to a sensational “coat” against the top seed, Miami does not miss the second matchpoint and wins the fifth match against the team and team Bucks, with 6 players able to close between 12 and 17 points, those touched by Goran Dragic (7/15 with 2/5 of three for him) and Jimmy Butler. Once again, the contribution of rookie Tyler Herro from the bench is very important: they are 14 with 3/7 from three for him, but above all there are also 8 rebounds and 6 assists in 37 minutes on the pitch.
The cover man at Heat, however, is once again Jimmy Butler, who plays another 360-degree match: for coach Spoelstra’s no.22 there are only 6 shots in the whole game (4 scored), but as in he usually goes to the line often (where he is infallible, 8/8) and to his 17 points he adds 10 rebounds, 6 assists and a recovery. He is the soul of the Heat that from seeded No. 5 thus reach the conference final: it did not happen since the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013.
Without replicating the incredible heroisms of game-4, in absentia Antetokounmpo is once again Khris Middleton the best scorer in Milwaukee: for the No. 22 of the Bucks there are 23 points (with 25 shots), 7 rebounds and 6 assists but also 6 turnovers and 6 fouls. Donte DiVincenzo does better than him for percentages (5/9 shooting for 17 points) while Brook Lopez closes with a double double of 15 and 14 rebounds. Only 2/12 shooting for Eric Bledsoe while the bench of coach Budenholzer (Marvin Williams excluded) makes 3/13 shooting.