While the Philadelphia 76ers wait to see who their opponent in the East semifinals will be, one of the biggest threats in the Eastern Conference has gone down in first round.
The Milwaukee Bucks, who entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East and with the best regular-season record in the NBA, fell to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat at home, 128-126, in overtime in Game 5 and were eliminated from the postseason. Former Sixers star Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 42 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Butler made a clutch lob to force overtime off a pass from Gabe Vincent in what has been a terrific postseason for him. They are just the sixth No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in NBA history.
The Miami Heat become the sixth No. 8 seed in NBA history to advance past the No. 1 seed, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 27, 2023
With the Bucks out of the picture, it is assumed the Eastern Conference crown will come down to the Sixers and the Boston Celtics. However, the Cs have to get past the Atlanta Hawks first before they face the Sixers in the conference semifinals.
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