It happened again. For the second straight year, the Milwaukee Bucks bowed out of the playoffs in shocking fashion—this time at the hands of Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. A 119–118 overtime thriller at Gainbridge Fieldhouse sealed the Bucks’ fate, marking their third premature Eastern Conference exit in recent years. And this one hit different. Even Charles Barkley, usually measured in his postgame takes, couldn’t hold back. “Come on man, that was brutal,” Chuck declared on TNT.

And who could blame him? The Bucks led by 7 points with under 40 seconds left in overtime. With Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor and a chance to close, it should’ve been a wrap. Instead, it unraveled. The Greek Freak—who had been outstanding throughout the series—had a shot to win it with a 16-foot jumper at the buzzer before the overtime debacle. He missed. Series over. Haliburton dished out 26 points and 10 assists to lead the Pacers.

Chuck on the TNT show expressed his disappointment with how things went down in the game despite the Bucks’ lead in the fourth quarter. “They were up seven with 45 seconds to go….I don’t like using the word choke but that was a choke gag. come on man….In the words of the great Tom Jackson, ‘C’Mon man.’ That was a choke job. Ain’t nothing you can say but that was a gag. That was a choke, choke, choke.” Barkley said.

And in the postgame, Giannis didn’t sugarcoat it either. He acknowledged the breakdowns and admitted the loss was on them. A brutal ending to another championship dream. “Just gotta look myself in the mirror, and I have to be better…..I try every single year, work in the offseason, come back. It definitely doesn’t feel good. As a team we work hard. We do the right things, we play the right way. Not being able to win games definitely hurts, but you’ve got to keep doing what you’re doing,” Antetokounmpo made the heartbreaking confession speaking to the media.

Like in all the game, the Greek superstar did level up his game. He had yet another explosive performance. He dropped 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists for the team. Coach Doc Rivers’ plan to push Gary Trent Jr. forward to relieve the pressure on Antetokounmpo was a great plan that worked out in Game 4. Trent hit eight 3-pointers, scoring 33 points for the Bucks. But as Antetokounmpo claimed there were certain mistakes that stopped the Bucks.

Getting defeated by the Pacers twice is indeed painful. While Chuck says that he doesn’t wish to use the word “choke”, the 76ers legend did end up using it twice in the playoffs. The latest was during the Miami Heat‘s loss in Game 4.

Charles Barkley used “Choke” for Miami Vs. Clippers

The Miami Heat entered Game 4 down 3-0 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the team hoped to mount a comeback, it suffered a devastating home loss after a disastrous 43-17 first quarter dashed their hopes. Bam Adebayo had 13 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough to turn the game around. Worse than the sweep was the 55-point gap in Game 4. This is now the fourth-largest in NBA Playoffs history.

This is not the kind of history the team hoped to make. TNT host Ernie Johnson called it the “worst game” he has ever seen. And Chuck? “Ernie, I try not to ever use the word quit or choke… This is quitting at its finest right here,” he said. Not to mention, the Cleveland Cavaliers were tough. Even Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted it. That was evident with several Cavaliers players having scored in double digits to defeat the Heat.

For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points and added five assists. De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Javonte Green added 19, 18, and 11 points, respectively. Three of them came off the bench. Evan Mobley chipped in 17 points, and Jarrett Allen added 15, highlighting Heat’s lack of balance. Next up, the Cavaliers will face the Indiana Pacers.