Bucks beat Heat with Record-Breaking 25 3-Pointers in 138-122 Victory
The Milwaukee Bucks, without Giannis Antetokounmpo, managed to tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece by defeating the Miami Heat 138-122 on Wednesday night. Brook Lopez scored 25 points and Jrue Holiday added 24, contributing to the Bucks’ impressive shooting performance.
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The Milwaukee team made 25 out of 49 shots from beyond the arc, which helped them match the NBA record for 3-point baskets in a postseason game. Pat Connaughton, who was not part of the lineup in Game 1, scored a personal best of 22 points in the playoffs, achieving 6 out of 10 shots from three-point range.
Milwaukee couldn’t have Antetokounmpo play in their next game following their 130-117 Game 1 defeat as he had to leave the match due to a bruised lower back. The injury was sustained after a tough foul in the first quarter while he was attempting to make a drive to the basket. Antetokounmpo, who is a two-time MVP, was unable to participate in the game due to the injury.
“We’ll continue to monitor him and expect for him to improve and still continue to be optimistic that soon he’ll be ready to play,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game.
The absence of guard Wesley Matthews due to a strained right calf in Game 1 was also felt by the Bucks. Likewise, the Heat faced the absence of Tyler Herro who broke his right hand in Game 1 and may not return for the rest of the season unless Miami makes it to the NBA Finals.
During one game, the Bucks were able to make up for Antetokounmpo’s absence with an impressive improvement in their 3-point shooting. In the previous game, they struggled with only 11 successful 3-point attempts out of 45 while the Heat had 15 out of 25. However, in this game, the Bucks were able to make over 50% of their 3-point shots, which was an impressive feat tying a record.
The Bucks’ Joe Ingles made a total of 17 points and was particularly successful with 5 out of 6 shots from beyond the arc. Khris Middleton and Grayson Allen also contributed 16 points each to the team’s score. Additionally, Bobby Portis made an impressive 13 points and managed to grab 15 rebounds.
The Bucks found success by utilizing the same strategy they employed in their previous home playoff game sans Antetokounmpo, which involved frequently giving the ball to Lopez in the early stages of the game.
Lopez had a slow start in Game 1 with only 10 points, but he rebounded in the Wednesday game with 14 points by the end of the first quarter. He had a remarkable performance during Milwaukee’s championship run in 2021, where he scored a career-high of 34 points in the playoffs, helping the team secure a win against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals while Antetokounmpo was recovering from a hyperextended left knee injury.
Lopez’s success on the interior created opportunities for all players on the perimeter.
Milwaukee took the lead by 62-41 with 5:29 remaining in the second quarter after Connaughton made a 3-pointer that concluded an 11-0 run. Although Butler broke the run with two free throws, Milwaukee continued to score the next 13 points, which included seven points from Ingles, resulting in a 32-point lead.
In the third quarter, the Bucks had a lead of up to 36 points. However, the Heat managed to outscore the Bucks with 37 points against 20 in the fourth quarter, making the final score somewhat respectable.
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Duncan Robinson took over Herro’s position and scored 14 points in the Heat’s starting lineup. Victor Oladipo, who didn’t play in Game 1, had seven points at halftime on Wednesday and ended up scoring a total of 15 points.
During the latter part of the third quarter, Jae Crowder of the Bucks was issued a flagrant 1 foul for seizing the right leg of Butler while the Heat forward was attempting to make a basket close to the rim. In the regular season games that Antetokounmpo was absent, Milwaukee had a record of 11-8. Lopez was presented with the NBA Cares Community Assist award for March due to his advocacy for youth literacy. The Milwaukee Public Library Foundation will receive a $10,000 donation from the NBA.
Read more:
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