The fact that Jimmy Butler and the eighth-seeded Miami Heat have beaten the team that finished with the best record in the entire NBA in the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs still seems surreal. After all, the Heat lost one of their best players in Tyler Herro to injury. While that in and of itself is unfathomable already, to vanquish the top seed of the Eastern Conference in five games is simply astounding.
But make no mistake about it, Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury or not, the Heat very much deserved to advance to the second round of the playoffs. And the Last Two Minute report for the Heat's 128-126 overtime victory over the Bucks is further indication of that.
According to the L2M report, Jimmy Butler's ridiculous alley-oop bucket to tie the game at 118 in regulation should have been an and-one, as pointed out by Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The report indicates that the referees should have called a foul on Bucks guard Pat Connaughton.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed. Butler could have ended up missing the bonus free throw anyway. But evidently, the Heat should have at least gotten an opportunity to win the game without the five added minutes.
It's a testament to head coach Erik Spoelstra's gutsy play-calling that the Heat were able to put Jimmy Butler in a position of success with the game on the line.
Even then, it's up to the players to execute, and execute that play to perfection, they truly did. Gabe Vincent threw a pinpoint pass that only Butler could have gotten, and five minutes of game time later, the Heat were able to complete perhaps the most surprising first-round upset in NBA history.
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