The Milwaukee Bucks entered the playoffs with the best record in the NBA. They had a historically great defense with three players making an All-Defensive team, the Defensive Player of the Year and most likely MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and a top-3 Coach of the Year candidate in Mike Budenholzer.
However, their level was far from expected since the restart of the season. There were a lot of doubts and concerns when they dropped the first game vs. the Orlando Magic but were able to bounce back and rally with 4 straight wins. Needless to say, beating the Miami Heat was going to be an even tougher task.
The Heat jumped to a 3-0 lead and the Bucks managed to beat the odds and survive by forcing Game 5 without Giannis. Then again, trying to take 4 straight from a team coached by Erik Spoelstra without their best player was an uphill battle, to say the least.
As expected, the Heat bounced back and took a 103-94 win in Game 5 to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014, and the internet had a lot to say about it:
Giannis at his MVP speech after losing to the 5th seed Heat pic.twitter.com/TP0rD8U5Jd
— mink flow (@currypiston) September 9, 2020
The Heat, ushering in the end of the Giannis era in Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/2dsrJ0ijKA
— NOTSportsCenter (@NOTSportsCenter) September 9, 2020
Giannis Antetokounmpo right now pic.twitter.com/kMww7IhT0m
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) September 9, 2020
“We winning a championship this year?”
Bucks: pic.twitter.com/Gsb28xmijm
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) September 9, 2020
WAS THIS JUST FOR THE REGULAR SEASON?
ASKING FOR A FRIEND pic.twitter.com/tUpLuKIz86
— Bille (@Bilaal10) September 9, 2020
— EDP445 Burner (@EDPBurnerClips) September 9, 2020
MVP, DPOY, 3 ALL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS, AND ONE GENTLEMAN’S SWEEP pic.twitter.com/x7c74BkkFW
— thebravelittleherro (@biscaynebucket1) September 9, 2020
You gotta view this as a success for Mike Budenholzer as he now gets to give his players even more rest throughout the playoffs
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) September 9, 2020
Giannis is incredible and I can't wait to see him bounce back next year. But I'm bummed his season ended with an injury so I can't even joke about him being Mykonos Kidd-Gilchrist. Or Dolma Finney-Smith. Or Luc Mbah-Moussaka. Or Baklava Biyombo. Or Gyrondae Hollis-Jefferson. Or
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) September 9, 2020
Middleton: We’ll get them next season!
Giannis: pic.twitter.com/vw3zJpBW2I
— IGZ (@igzrap) September 9, 2020
How Giannis is gonna be taking questions during his MVP presentation pic.twitter.com/TmYjmEVwFO
— Silver Screen & Roll (@LakersSBN) September 9, 2020
The Heat couldn’t go undefeated and got a nice gentleman’s sweep. The internet, on the other hand, remains undefeated.