The Milwaukee Bucks’ 2025 NBA Playoff run came to a heartbreaking end on April 29, 2025, with a 119-118 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of their first-round series. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks’ two-time MVP and perennial All-NBA star, delivered a monster performance on paper, posting a 30-point, 20-rebound triple-double. Yet, despite his gaudy stat line, a closer examination of his play in the critical overtime period reveals that he was a liability on both ends of the floor.
The Context: A Game of Momentum Swings
Game 5 was a rollercoaster, with the Bucks jumping out to a 13-0 lead, only for the Pacers to storm back from a 20-point deficit. The game was tied at 103 after regulation, thanks in part to Giannis missing a 16-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer—a shot that, while within his skill set, was a low-percentage look under pressure. In overtime, the Bucks held a 118-111 lead with just 40 seconds remaining, but Indiana mounted an 8-0 run to steal the game, capped by Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning layup with one second left. Giannis, who played all five minutes of overtime, was at the center of Milwaukee’s collapse.
Defensive Liability: Failing to Contain Haliburton
Defensively, Giannis is sometimes a force. Well, he used to be. His length, athleticism, and instincts make him a former Defensive Player of the Year and a constant disruptor. However, in overtime, he looked gassed and was repeatedly exposed, particularly by Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. Posts on social media captured the sentiment of fans and analysts who watched the game closely, with one user noting, “Giannis didn’t adjust his defense, kept getting baited into committing, and then he has no help defense once he gets blown by”. This critique is spot-on.
The game’s defining moment came on Haliburton’s game-winning layup. With 17 seconds left, Andrew Nembhard hit a 33-foot three-pointer to cut the Bucks’ lead to one. On the ensuing possession, Gary Trent Jr. fumbled a pass out of bounds, giving Indiana the ball back. Haliburton, guarded by Giannis, shook him with a hesitation move, drove left past him “like he was standing still” , and laid the ball in over Brook Lopez for the 119-118 lead. Giannis’ inability to stay in front of Haliburton was inexcusable for a player of his caliber. His fatigue was evident—he played 44 minutes total, including the entire fourth quarter and overtime —and it showed in his sluggish lateral movement. Gianni’s is never fast in these situations but here it was just plain epic stupidity to get outplayed in the same way multiple times and not change anything. Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is a sure sign of extremely low intelligence.
Earlier in overtime, the Bucks also suffered from defensive breakdowns, with Doc Rivers pointing to Nembhard’s deep three as a “key play”. While Giannis wasn’t directly guarding Nembhard, his role as a help defender was critical, and he failed to rotate effectively. The Pacers’ ability to exploit Milwaukee’s defense in overtime was a team-wide issue, but Giannis, as the anchor, bore significant responsibility. His energy levels appeared depleted, and his defensive awareness waned at the worst possible time.
Could another player have fared better? The Bucks’ starting lineup included Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green, and Bobby Portis, with Brook Lopez as a rim-protecting option off the bench. Trent, who led the team with two steals per game, or even a fresher wing like AJ Green could have taken on Haliburton. Green, who played 46 minutes, was part of the lineup that forced a shot-clock violation early in the game, suggesting he had the defensive chops to at least contest Haliburton’s drives. While no one on the roster matches Giannis’ defensive upside, his exhaustion made him a net negative in this scenario.
Offensive Struggles: Limited Impact in Crunch Time
Offensively, Giannis was similarly ineffective in overtime. He scored just two points on two shot attempts, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out two assists. While these numbers aren’t terrible in a vacuum, they pale in comparison to his overall game impact and highlight his limitations in high-stakes, half-court situations. Fans on X were harsh, with one stating, “Giannis has always been helpless in crunch time when he can’t run and dunk”. This criticism, while hyperbolic, points to a recurring issue: Giannis’ game is less effective when the pace slows and defenses tighten.
In regulation, Giannis had a chance to win the game but “threw up a laughable brick” on a fadeaway jumper. This miss set the tone for his overtime performance, where he failed to assert himself as a scorer. The Bucks’ offense relied heavily on Gary Trent Jr., who nailed four three-pointers in overtime, including multiple contested looks. Trent’s hot shooting nearly saved Milwaukee, but the team’s two turnovers in the final 30 seconds—culminating in Trent’s fumble—sealed their fate. Giannis, as the primary ball-handler in “Point Giannis” mode, didn’t create enough to compensate for these miscues.
Giannis’ offensive limitations are well-documented. His midrange game, while improved, remains inconsistent, and his three-point shooting is nonexistent (0-for-1 in Game 4, per). In overtime, the Pacers packed the paint, daring him to shoot or pass out to shooters. With Damian Lillard sidelined for the series, Giannis lacked a reliable pick-and-roll partner to break down Indiana’s defense. His 13 assists for the game show his playmaking ability, but in overtime, he couldn’t generate high-quality looks when it mattered most.
Contrast this with Haliburton, who scored Indiana’s last five points in overtime, including the game-winner, and their last eight in regulation. The Pacers’ offense flowed through their star, who was “unafraid” and made plays in clutch moments. Milwaukee needed Giannis to match that intensity, but he couldn’t. A player like Kevin Porter Jr., who played 47 minutes and had shown scoring flashes in the series, might have offered a spark as a secondary creator, even if his decision-making is less polished.
The Root Cause was not fatigue
He logged 44 minutes, second only to Trent’s 48 among Bucks starters. Posts on social media noted that “Giannis looked gassed all five minutes” in overtime, while the Pacers “had the energy to play ten more”. But those are pathetic excuses. Even 40 year old LeBron James played a whole half with no break and was a monster on both ends. Gianni’s is only 30 and boasts about his physical conditioning, you can’t just pretend he lost it all of a sudden. No, these issues have plagued Giannis in every important match up and I pointed them all out months ago.
The emphasis on his numbers in total ignores the reality of playoff NBA basketball. Giannis’ stat-stuffing didn’t translate to winning plays in overtime. All season they haven’t, the Bucks have not beat any of the top seeded teams in the East. Giannis gets amazing stats, the team fails. We have seen this before and it’s on Giannis, not the rest of the roster. His defensive lapses and offensive passivity were glaring, and the Bucks’ collapse—blowing a seven-point lead in 40 seconds—demanded a tactical adjustment. It is unfair to talk about Rivers’ refusal to adapt, since we all know Giannis demands to be on court in these games. Giannis handed the Pacers the momentum they needed to close out the series.
Game 5’s overtime exposed his vulnerabilities. Defensively, he couldn’t contain Haliburton or anchor the team’s scheme. Offensively, he was limited to two points and failed to create when the Bucks needed it most. It is also completely unfair to blame the Bucks’ lack of depth. That is Giannis fault for not giving them more chances in the regular season. He is too busy stat padding even in garbage time of blowout wins. As Giannis himself said postgame, he needs to “look in the mirror” and improve. After 3 years of early playoff exits we are not seen any improvement. Obviously Giannis doesn’t have any good mirrors around him, just people that suck up to him.
