Jimmy Butler, Heat Eliminate Bucks from Playoffs as Giannis Sits with Injury

Let the speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future begin.

The Milwaukee Bucks superstar missed his team's 103-94 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday with the same sprained right ankle that forced him out of Game 4 in the second quarter. This time, his teammates couldn't pull off the upset without him.

That means the Heat are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Bucks are heading home and bracing for an offseason of rumors and conversations about whether Antetokounmpo will sign a supermax extension.

Key Stats

Jimmy Butler, MIA: 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, five turnovers

Khris Middleton, MIL: 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists

Bam Adebayo, MIA: 13 points, six boards

Donte DiVincenzo, MIL: 17 points

Tyler Herro, MIA: 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists

Brook Lopez, MIL: 15 points, 14 rebounds

Everything in Milwaukee Revolves Around Antetokounmpo's Future

The Bucks can't be blamed for losing Game 5 without their best player and arguably the best player in the NBA, period. But they can be blamed for losing the first three games of the series with him. As Miami prepares for a potential run to the NBA Finals, the Bucks have to find a way to build a better title contender around the Greek Freak and hope he signs an extension.

If he doesn't, he'll be a free agent next offseason, setting up major questions about his future in Milwaukee. There are already questions about whether the Bucks have hit their ceiling following consecutive seasons as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, only to fail to reach the NBA Finals. If Antetokounmpo doesn't believe Milwaukee can get him over the top, he could opt to hit free agency a year from now.

The Bucks have so many questions to address.

Is Khris Middleton suited to be the No. 2 star on a contender? Probably not. Can they do better at point guard than Eric Bledsoe, who didn't exactly erase his reputation for coming up small in the playoffs this year? Probably. Has head coach Mike Budenholzer taken this team as far as it can go? Debatable. Is there an avenue to getting another star? Yes, though it could mean taking on Chris Paul's astronomical contract.

For Milwaukee, doing whatever it takes to keep the Greek Freak for the long term is the offseason priority. Expect the organization to do some major soul-searching.

Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder and Miami's Role Players Came Up Big

On a night when Miami didn't get much from Butler, the team's defense and its role players played a starring role.

Jae Crowder continued his hot shooting from the perimeter, punishing the Bucks when they left him open from three.

Then there's Tyler Herro, whose shooting, ability to drive to the rim and playmaking proved crucial. He had Twitter buzzing:

They weren't alone. Kelly Olynyk chipped in 12 points off the bench. Goran Dragic offered 17 points. Andre Iguodala and Kendrick Nunn provided quality minutes in the second unit.

The Heat won't beat either the Toronto Raptors or Boston Celtics if Butler doesn't take on more of the scoring load. But the Heat are a well-rounded team with plenty of players capable of picking up the slack. That makes them a real threat to get out of the Eastern Conference this year.

What's Next?

Miami awaits the winner of the other Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. Boston currently leads the series 3-2.