Yes, it was a shot clock violation.
I saw it, you saw it. In case you didn’t, here it is:
https://twitter.com/TheRenderNBA/status/988955291667632129
Is it frustrating? Absolutely. Not getting calls during crunch time sucks, especially in a tied series, down just two possessions. It was indeed a terrible no call that led to the Celtics keeping the possession late in the game.
HOWEVER,
It doesn’t define the game and how badly the Bucks played as a team. Bucks had several opportunities to take control of this game, and threw away nearly all of them. Here are a few..
Bucks shot 36% from the field
Milwaukee struggled to muster any type of consistent scoring all night. They finished 32/87, yes, they took eighty seven shots (producing 87 points *yikes*) to Boston’s 69 shots.
27% shooting from deep
It doesn’t get any better outside the arc. Bucks could just not buy a bucket all night, finishing 9/33 from deep. They averaged 8.8 3PM/24.6 3PA per game this season, and taking 9 more didn’t change anything tonight.
Only 15 points off 18 turnovers
This is arguably the most frustrating one during an off shooting night. The Bucks had another solid night defensively, but were unable (for the most part) to do anything with 18 Boston turnovers. The transition offense spacing was horrific. Imagine 25 points off 18 turnovers; it isn’t even a game at that point.
And to add the cherry on top..
6 missed free throws
Yes, even the little things can come back to bite you. Six missed free throws (Giannis [3], Bledsoe [2], Middleton [1]) in a five point loss.
Officiating has never been perfect nor will it ever be. The play from both teams was hard to watch, and rather cringey at times. Bucks likely come away with a win if they had just properly executed a few more possessions.
Bucks will look to bounce back Thursday at home for game six.
