Milwaukee Bucks Fire Coach Mike Budenholzer After Early Playoff Exit vs Heat

• The Milwaukee Bucks announced on Thursday that they have parted ways with Mike Budenholzer
• Budenholzer was fired after the Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Miami Heat
• His decision-making was questioned in Milwaukee's gut-wrenching losses in Games 4 and 5

The Milwaukee Bucks have fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after the Eastern Conference’s top seed suffered a shocking first-round loss to the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

He had two years left on his contract, worth approximately $16 million.

The Bucks decided to make a coaching change after failing to meet expectations this postseason.

Many expected the Bucks to go on a deep playoff run after winning 58 games under Budenholzer during the 2022-23 regular season and entering the 2023 playoffs as the league’s No. 1 overall seed.

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Budenholzer fired after early exit

They failed at the first hurdle, though, losing in the first round to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in five games. The Bucks became the sixth No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose to an 8-seed, per ESPN.

Bucks general manager Jon Horst issued a statement regarding Budenholzer’s sacking, saying:

"The decision to make this change was very difficult. Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks' first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success.

Horst added they are grateful for the culture of winning and leadership that Bud helped create in Milwaukee.

He said this is an opportunity for them to refocus and reenergize their efforts as they continue building toward their next championship season.

Bud's decision-making questioned

The 53-year-old coach’s decision-making was questioned during the first-round series when Milwaukee squandered double-digit leads in the fourth quarter against Miami in Games 4 and 5.

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The Bucks had two opportunities to extend the series in Game 5 against the Heat, but Budenholzer opted not to use his final timeouts on the last possessions of the fourth quarter and overtime.

Budenholzer said he should have called a timeout with 0.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to advance the ball after Jimmy Butler tied the contest with his acrobatic layup in Game 5.

Budenholzer was also blamed for not calling a timeout before the Bucks’ final possession in overtime, with Milwaukee failing to get a shot off before its season ended.

Heat eliminate Bucks 

Sports Brief previously reported on the Heat’s win over the Bucks in Game 5.

Butler torched the Bucks, scoring 42 points in the 128-126 win.

He averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in the first-round series.