LOS ANGELES: Jimmy Butler conjured another magical performance as the Miami Heat sent the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks sensationally crashing out of the NBA playoffs on Wednesday with a nerve-jangling overtime victory.
Butler, who scored 56 points in a dazzling Game 4 win on Monday, once again led Miami’s offense with 42 points as the eighth-seeded Heat won 128-126 to seal a 4-1 series triumph.
It is only the sixth time in NBA history that an eighth-seeded team has eliminated a No. 1 seed from the playoffs. The Bucks — who finished the regular season on top of the Eastern Conference with the best record in the NBA — were left ruing another fourth-quarter collapse as Miami celebrated before a shocked Milwaukee home crowd at the Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee, who had blown a double-digit lead in Monday’s game four loss in Miami, were ahead by 16 points early in the fourth quarter on Wednesday.