Getty Images Jimmy Butler fights for a loose ball in Game 1 against Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The refs were brutal in Game 1 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. The officiating has been pretty bad across the league during the first round of the NBA playoffs, to be honest.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was visibly upset (see: lost his mind) about a non-call for traveling on Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the fourth quarter of Game 1. The two-time MVP clearly took about six steps after securing an offensive rebound with 36.7 seconds left.
According to The Last Two Minute Report, it was an “incorrect non-call.” Instead, the refs called a foul on Trevor Ariza that sent Antetokounmpo to the line for two foul shots. He went 1-of-2 to put the Bucks up 98-97. Without that extra point, maybe Game 1 doesn’t go into overtime following Jimmy Butler’s miraculous game-tying layup at the buzzer.
Hindsight is always 20/20 but Antetokounmpo’s missed travel call wasn’t the only error. Four different ones went against the Heat in the last two minutes and overtime. Here is a quick list of those grievances:
Missed Call 1: Goran Dragic reaches in and makes contact to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s arm that affects his shot attempt near the basket. (4th quarter, 38.6 seconds)
Missed Call 2: Antetokounmpo takes more than two steps after gathering the rebound. (4th quarter, 36.7 seconds)
Missed Call 3: Butler boxes out Brook Lopez, who initiates contact to Butler’s face and dislodges him from his position during the rebound. (overtime, 1:38)
Missed Call 4: Lopez is in the lane for longer than three seconds without actively guarding an opponent. (overtime, 29.2 seconds)
Brook Lopez & Jimmy Butler
The latest Heat news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Heat newsletter here!
Keep Shooting, Missed Ones Will Fall
Butler took nine three-pointers in Game 1. The star forward finished 2-of-9 from deep and 4-of-22 from the field for 17 points on a miserable shooting night. You could argue he made up for it after taking Antetokounmpo to school on a physical, driving layup that tied the game up at 99-99. Butler’s plan for the rest of the series is to remain aggressive.
“I may shoot nine [three-pointers] next game as well. They’ll fall,” Butler said. “I know that. Get in there, work on some touch, touch was a little bit off. I’m cool. I think we all live with that, just got to be better as a whole, myself.”
JIMMY BUTLER SENDS GAME ONE TO OVERTIME‼️‼️‼️
Jimmy Butler’s layup in the final seconds is just his 4th made basket of the game, but it’s the biggest of the season!
We’re headed to OT tied at 99!
Heat center Bam Adebayo wasn’t much better and heard calls from veteran teammates to be more aggressive. He finished 4-of-15 from the field for nine points while letting Brook Lopez get the best of him in the paint.
“You miss shots. You got days like that. That’s OK,” Butler said. “The whole thing is you just got to bounce back, figure out ways you can be better, not just on offense but on defense as well. Like I said, I’m taking the shots that I missed, he’s taking the shots that he missed [Adebayo], and we will continue to take the same ones because they will fall.”
Bucks-Heat Ready for Game 2 Tonight
The Heat and Bucks will return to the court for Game 2 tonight (May 24) in Milwaukee. Miami is down 1-0 in the series but they took solace in knowing they were in that first game until the bitter end. Duncan Robinson (24 points) and Goran Dragic (25 points) were the bright spots as they combined for 12 three-pointers.
Game 2
The Heat will continue to rely on the deep ball against a Bucks team that struggled all year to defend it. Milwaukee ranked 29th in the NBA at 38.5% or second-worst in the NBA. The game plan shouldn’t change too much.
“If you look at their team, they are in the bottom of the league at giving up threes,” Dragic said. “I think we have great shooters who can make threes. I think the plan was to take open ones and we did it. We missed a lot of open ones, mid-range shots, definitely hurt us a little bit but overall we were in the game. It’s encouraging for us. We didn’t have the best performance as a team but we were there.”
READ ALSO: