“Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks Fall to Miami Heat in Shocking Playoff Upset”

Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks, the best team in the regular season in the NBA and one of the great candidates for the ring, fell before their fans 128-126 in overtime after letting slip a 16-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter .

This victory for Miami, which qualified for the playoffs in the playoffs, is only the sixth time in history that the eighth seed wins the series against the first.

Antetokounmpo, a finalist for the season MVP award, had 38 points and 20 rebounds but made just 10 of 23 free throws and his performance was overshadowed by Miami star Jimmy Butler’s 42 points.

“I wasn’t able to score shots. That’s it,” a dejected Antetokounmpo said in the press room. “If he had taken those shots it would have been a different case. Some days you succeed, others you fail. Today has been one of those days”.

The Greek, who led Milwaukee to the 2021 title ending a 50-year drought, bristled when asked if he views this season as a failure.

“In sport there are no failures. There are good days, bad days. Some days you succeed, others you don’t. Some days it’s up to you and some days it’s not. You don’t always win. And this year another team will win. Every year you work to achieve a goal. There are steps to success. Michael Jordan played 15 years and won six championships. Were the other nine years a failure?” the power forward responded.

Antetokounmpo said his locker room was “in shock” and regretted that his team was thinking more about the title run than getting through this first series against Miami. “I feel like they were playing to beat us and we were playing to win a championship. You have to give them credit, they kicked our butts. We have to feel it. Two years ago we swept them 4-0 and they felt it all summer. They came back and they were better. We have to use this as motivation.”

Antetokounmpo admitted he would have liked to defend Butler more in this series and declined to elaborate on the impact of the back injury that sidelined him for two games. “That doesn’t matter anymore, the series is over,” closed the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Fuente: primicias.ec