Giannis levels Butler; refs miss crucial call

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) battle for control of the ball during the fourth quarter. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo levels Jimmy Butler, but refs miss crucial call

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 3/2/22

Two of the best players in the NBA in that of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat took to the court Wednesday evening.

It was one of the best games on the NBA schedule between two Eastern Conference title contenders.

Unfortunately, officials on hand in Milwaukee decided to play a larger role in the outcome than the two stars.

With Miami up 119-118 and less than 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Gabe Vincent was tasked with inbounding the ball. He got it to Butler, who was absolutely mugged by Giannis twice.

Instead of calling a foul on the play, officials indicated that it was a jump ball. Just check this out:

Okay, I have officially seen it all pic.twitter.com/TyVGi7T7fH
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) March 3, 2022

We’re not even sure where to start here. Not only did the Greek Freak tackle Butler in an attempt to get the jump ball, the two-time NBA MVP legitimately elbowed Jimmy Buckets in the mug.

Milwaukee would gain possession on the jump ball with Jrue Holiday nailing the game-winner as the fourth quarter came to an end.

We hate to place all the blame on the officials here. Miami did hold a 14-point lead about midway through the fourth quarter. It shares in some of the blame. With that said, it’s hard to give the officials a pass.

As for Butler, he scored exactly zero points in the final 37 minutes of the game. That’s not a way for the All-Star to show that his Heat are legitimate contenders with the defending NBA champions.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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