Miami Heat: Role reversal, 3-pointers and more against the Bucks

One team’s win streak will come to an end, as the Miami Heat face the red-hot Milwaukee Bucks in Saturday night action.

The Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks have come a long way since 2013.

Although a fledgling herd of Bucks was hunted, skinned and left decomposing somewhere in the Wisconsin wilds by Miami in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs, the city of Milwaukee rebounded like few others have.

The infamy of Brandon Jennings’ “Bucks in six” war cry lives on, but Milwaukee has retooled since the Miami heat swept them, 4-0.

If that 2012-13 Bucks team had more time to percolate, it’d likely have been a recurring face in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Then led by Monta Ellis and Jennings, Milwaukee featured a trove of players—Tobias Harris, Ersan Ilyasova, Ish Smith, Luc Mbah a Moute, JJ Redick—who would find better homes on better teams while upsetting the NBA’s power structure in the process.

Seriously, between Harris and the Los Angeles Clippers, Mbah a Moute on the Houston Rockets, Redick with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, the Bucks amassed a collection of talent that didn’t quite gel as planned.

However, after flaming out in the post-season, Milwaukee drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013, who has subsequently reshaped one of the NBA’s coldest cities into the league-guiding northern star that the 2012-13 team dreamt of being.

Comparatively, the Heat, who were at the center of the basketball universe in 2013, have been swept away by the northerly winds of change, now sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

After taking a Thursday night win over the Rockets, Miami faces Milwaukee in what amounts to a role reversal from those 2013 playoffs.

Whereas the Heat boasted the best player in the league, LeBron James, in 2013, the Bucks now have that luxury with Antetokounmpo (if not the best, he’s pretty close).

Similarly, Miami and its league-shaping implementation of small-ball has been overcome by Milwaukee’s trendsetting offense, one that relies on length and high-volume 3-point shooting to eviscerate teams in the vein of an angry moose goring its prey.

Now 22-9, the Bucks are one of three remaining teams with single digit losses, while Miami continues the fight for relevance.

The good news for Miami is that, in addition to the team’s three game win streak, Milwaukee is entering a back-to-back, having departed from Boston after last night’s 2018 Playoffs rematch.

Unfortunately, back-to-backs mean nothing to this second-place Bucks team.

According to NBA.com, Milwaukee is 4-0 when playing games without a day of rest. Milwaukee has already taken games off the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers in restless situations this year.

What’s more is that this Bucks team has grown exponentially since Miami played them in Dwyane Wade’s homecoming game last February.

Since their last meeting, Milwaukee has trimmed the fat on its club, swapping out John Henson, Jabari Parker and Jason Terry for Brook Lopez and Ilyasova (yeah, he’s back, albeit injured).

Scoring diversity

The new faces and Milwaukee’s game plan will put pressure on Miami’s defenses, as the Heat will have to run shooters in all five positions off the 3-point line.

There’s no explanation for how the 7-foot, 270-pound Lopez can get defenders to bite on a pump fake, and then take two dribbles into a crossover, step-back 3 and nail it.

Nor is there one for his immense confidence to pull up from Steph Curry ranges without hesitation.

But he does.

And that puts Miami’s ninth place defense in a pickle.

The Heat are in the bottom third of the league in opponent 3-point percentage (36.3), and that number will skyrocket if Milwaukee is taken lightly tonight.

Augmenting that 3-point threat is Antetokounmpo and his incredible paint play.

He leads the NBA in field goals attempted at the rim, a benchmark that stems from his chiseled Grecian musculature and his god-like insatiability.

Last night, against the Celtics, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks drew three consecutive charging fouls in the first quarter, which led to a 10-1 Celtics lead.

So how did Milwaukee respond out of the time out? See for yourself.

Nearly losing control of the behind the back dribble, Antetokounmpo bolts full steam at the rim, attacking the Celtics like he is representing the Achaeans in the Trojan War.

Antetokounmpo is fearless, and at 24-years-old, he steels his nerves by the day.

Miami doesn’t have a perfect option to dissuade him from attacking, though Adebayo might be among the top choices.

Already shown to be willing to move his feet, he might provide the interference the Heat need to throw Antetokounmpo off his mojo.

Otherwise Kelly Olynyk and his self-sacrificial nature—he has drawn seven charges this season, leading the Heat—could put Antetokounmpo in early foul trouble.

Even then there is still Khris Middleton’s scoring, Malcom Brogdon’s driving and Tony Snell and Thon Maker’s underratedness that can (and probably will) catch Miami by surprise.

Regardless, one team’s win streak will continue tonight, and one will end.

But with the Vice curse broken after the nationally televised Rockets game, Miami should have a pinch more momentum than the Bucks.

Tip-off is at 8:00 PM ET.