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Fansided

Golden State Warriors’ championship aspirations boosted after shock result

By Peter O'Keefe

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 13: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is fouled by Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of a game at Fiserv Forum on December 13, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 13: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is fouled by Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of a game at Fiserv Forum on December 13, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors took care of their own business on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center, defeating the Sacramento Kings 123-116 in Game 5 to set up a potential close out at Chase Center on Saturday.

But while the Warriors may have boosted their championship aspirations with their own win, the Milwaukee Bucks’ shocking first-round loss to the Miami Heat has reverberated around the league.

Title favorites prior to the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks’ elimination has boosted the chances for the Golden State Warriors and other contending teams.

While the historic loss will impact the Eastern Conference largely, and particularly the New York Knicks who will now face the Heat, it has a significant effect on Western Conference teams who will no longer need to go through Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

The 2021 NBA champions came into the postseason as favorites for the title having finished the regular season with a league-leading 58-24 record. Despite a mid-series back injury for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks were expected to be way too good for a Heat team that only just scraped into the playoffs after a sudden death play-in game.

The Miami Heat celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 to secure a 4-1 series victory. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 to secure a 4-1 series victory. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

But in what many are calling the biggest upset in NBA playoff history, Miami defied the return of Antetokounmpo in the last two games. Milwaukee held double-digit leads in the fourth-quarter of Games 4 and 5, only to suffer back-to-back meltdowns in astonishing fashion.

The Bucks led by 16 heading to the fourth on Wednesday, yet Heat superstar Jimmy Butler again forged a path to get his team back into the contest. After a staggering 56 points in Game 4, Butler’s 42 points in Game 5 included an acrobatic layup to send the game to overtime in the final second. Milwaukee had their chance to either tie or take the lead on the final possession in overtime, but failed to get a shot up in a disastrous ending to a wasted season.

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Golden State would undoubtedly be happy to see the end of Milwaukee as unlikely as it was that the teams would meet in the NBA Finals. The Warriors suffered a convincing 128-111 loss in the teams’ first matchup at Fiserv Forum on December 14, before getting their revenge with a memorable overtime win at Chase Center on March 12, though that was without Antetokounmpo in the lineup.

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