Social-media reaction to Milwaukee Bucks' disastrous playoff loss to Miami

JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·5 min read
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In the stunning aftermath of the Milwaukee Bucks' first-round playoff ouster, the social-media reaction ranged from the team's non-use of its timeouts late in regulation and overtime to praise for the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler to discussion of Giannis Antetokounmpo's postgame comments about whether the season should be regarded as a failure.

More: A passionate Giannis says there are lessons, not failure, in losing. And he's right.

Here's a look at some of the reaction, if you have the stomach for it:

First, the NBA on TNT crowd tackled Giannis' postgame comments, with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal standing on opposite sides.

"I understand why he was mad about the question because, if he plays every game, it might have been a different series," Charles Barkley said of Antetokounmpo's bristling at the question about whether the season was a failure. "I don't look at every time somebody doesn't win. It's disappointing he got hurt earlier in the series and it's unfortunate. Having that kid as the face of our league is one of the great things."

Then, there's Shaq's view:

"He missed a lot of free throws. We talked about that before we talked about how his team shot, so when he's a great player and we expect you to win and you don't win, in my mind, that is a failure," O'Neal said. "I played 19 seasons, and I failed 15 seasons. When I didn't win, it was a failure. … I can't tell everybody how to think. But when I watch guys before me, the Birds, the Kareems … that's how they thought, so that's how I was raised. He's not a failure as a player, but is it a failure as a season? I would say yes, but also I like his explanation. I can understand and respect his explanation, but for me, when we didn't win, it was always my fault and it was definitely a failure."

Ernie Johnson, the show's host and a man with Milwaukee ties, had to eat some crow after he predicted the Bucks would bounce back from a 3-1 deficit.

Many basketball writers and media personalities offered their thoughts.

Then, there were the jokes and the genuine reactions of shock, including from the man who spoke "Bucks in 6" into existence.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks' disastrous playoff showing vs. Heat gets social media reaction