The Milwaukee Bucks got hosed by a terrible foul call that cost them Game 2 against the Miami Heat.
What’s Wisconsin Sports in the postseason without a controversial call at the end of a game?
Unlike the infamous Dez Bryant no-catch call that went in favor of Wisconsinites, Wednesday night saw the officiating gods go the other way.
In a tie game with seconds melting off the clock, the Milwaukee Bucks were called for a foul that sent Jimmy Butler to the free-throw line to win the game. Miami’s victory puts the Bucks in a 0-2 hole and sent fans and analysts alike into an absolute frenzy.
No matter where your allegiance lies, it’s impossible to watch this play and not feel like the wrong decision was made.
Jimmy Butler gets FOULED at the buzzer and ICES the game to win 116-114 😱😱😱
— Overtime (@overtime) September 3, 2020
Heat take a 2-0 series lead on the #1 SEED Bucks 🚨https://t.co/Y4FHAXBdlH
Excuse me…WHAT?!
There are questionable calls, and then there’s whatever the heck that is going to be explained as being. The Butler foul came mere seconds after Khris Middleton went to the free throw line on a similarly questionable call which allowed the game to become tied.
Needless to say, reactions were swift:
That is absolutely, positively, a shameful call by Marc Davis. How can you make that ticky-taco call in that situation! I picked the @MiamiHEAT to win this series, but to make that call in a time game with 0:00 on the clock is disgraceful. @Bucks should’ve walked off before FT’s
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 3, 2020
The refs at the end of Bucks-Heat. pic.twitter.com/4iN0v3Stri
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 3, 2020
That was a worse ending than Game of Thrones.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) September 3, 2020
REF: hey what’s the worst thing we could do right here
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) September 3, 2020
OTHER REF: i don’t know but let’s do it twice in a row
REF: cool yeah definitely
i can’t even
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) September 3, 2020
i don’t
what in the
how the
what
was there even
are you sure that
when have you ever
is there a
i mean
sure
heat/bucks
sure
The call on Dragic was very close but he did slightly move into Middleton's landing space. Would've hated to see a game decided with a 3-free-throw foul. Justice prevailed. Bucks got outplayed again, deserved to lose.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) September 3, 2020
NBA's last 2 minute report of that ref debacle pic.twitter.com/cSiUDvqCgt
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) September 3, 2020
It’s a play that could end up defining the series, one in which the Heat had already caught the Bucks off guard in Game 1. Coming into the series, many believed that Miami was the one team that could slow down Giannis, someone who is so freakishly good at what he does that he lives up to and exceeds the nickname Greek Freak.
But the Heat don’t have to stop Giannis, they need to stop the Bucks. That’s something they’ve managed to do through two games so far.
Horrible calls at the end of the game aside, the Bucks were outplayed for most of Game 2. They needed to claw back to even get us to a point where a bad call could determine the outcome.
It still stings though, and the Bucks no matter who you want to blame for it the Bucks find themselves in a tough spot against a team using chaotic energy to juice what could be a spoiler’s run to the NBA Finals.