The Milwaukee Bucks season ended on Tuesday after they gift-wrapped a win to the Pacers in Game 5.
The Bucks had a golden opportunity to extend the series and take things back to their home court, but they failed to execute down the stretch of the overtime period. It was a tough pill to swallow for the Bucks and their fans.
The NBA added another layer of frustration for the Bucks by releasing its Last Two Minute Report from their game against the Pacers.
According to the league, officials made an incorrect call in the final moments—specifically, the foul on AJ Green with 17 seconds left.
At that point, Indiana trailed by four when Tyrese Haliburton drove to the rim and scored, drawing the foul on Green. The questionable and-one call allowed Haliburton to convert the free throw, trimming the lead to just one.
Doesn’t much matter now, but on the Last Two Minute Report from last night’s game, the NBA found one incorrect call or no-call:
AJ Green’s “foul” on Tyrese Haliburton with 17.1 seconds left pic.twitter.com/QUqAPi6DtC
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 30, 2025
The bucket plus the foul made the contest into a one-point game. At the other end, the Bucks turned the ball over, and the Pacers only needed one bucket, whether at two or three, to go home with the win, which is what they got.
Had the officials held their whistle on Haliburton’s layup, the Bucks would’ve maintained a two-point edge, altering the game’s trajectory entirely. Even if Haliburton had later scored the go-ahead bucket, the game likely would have gone into double overtime rather than ending in regulation.
This wasn’t an isolated incident either—officiating has come under heavy scrutiny throughout the playoffs, with the league acknowledging multiple missed or incorrect calls across several games.
Instead, the Pacers captured the win and will continue their season. The Pacers will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Bucks could make some massive changes this summer. Their superstar forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is under a dark cloud. His future in Milwaukee, where he has spent the last 12 years of his career, is unclear.
There is a chance that he could asked out, which would make him the most highly sought player of the summer. As things stand, it’s all speculation, but it could soon be reality if Antetokounmpo decides he wants out of the city he calls home.
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For more news and notes about the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI.
