The Miami Heat overcome themselves and referees to take 2-0 series lead
The Miami Heat came into Wednesday’s game with a chance to go up 2-0 in their series over Milwaukee. Could they get it done?
The Miami Heat entered Wednesday’s Game Two with a chance to further prove their worth in the NBA this season. After beating the Milwaukee Bucks in the first game of their second-round series on Monday, the Miami Heat could come in and exponentially increase their chances of advancement on Wednesday with a win.
Jumping straight into the guts of the contest, it was always five on eight for the Miami Heat. The whistle was lopsided all night.
The Miami Heat got called for everything, including things that they didn’t do on their end, while the Milwaukee Bucks got away with a ton on theirs. You could say this is the homer thing to say, but when Giannis Antetokounmpo is bailed out on at least two occasions on clear traveling violations called fouls, it’s something to it.
The Miami Heat actually controlled this game throughout though, even with the referees seemingly on the Bucks side. It came down to the final minutes of the contest, where the Heat were up by about seven or eight, to see if the Bucks could close the gap.
It appeared as though they wouldn’t be able to, as they had a series of failed possessions as the clock passed two minutes. Then they scored a bucket, the Miami Heat got it in bounds to Jimmy Butler, and he did the most un-Jimmy Butler like thing ever.
The Miami Heat were battling the referees and the Bucks on Wednesday. Could they find their way to victory?
In the closing moments of a huge playoff contest against the favorites to go up 2-0 in the series, he threw a bad pass back towards his own rim, a cardinal sin in basketball. Brook Lopez intercepted it and proceeded to score a quick bucket.
You don’t expect that from the Miami Heat in big moments and that certainly goes for what you expect from Jimmy. He made up for it though, getting to the line on the next possession, as he so elegantly does quite often.
The problem is that he only made one of the free throws, giving the Miami Heat only a one-possession lead and with Khris Middleton on the other side, that didn’t feel safe. Middleton was the guy to take the Bucks’ next shot but he didn’t hit the three, the refs did what they had done all game.
They called a ticky-tack foul on Goran Dragic, which led to Middleton sinking all three of the free-throws given to him because of it. With four seconds left, Spo used a timeout to advance the ball to the Heat’s half of the court.
They got the ball in to Jimmy Butler, he was doubled by Wesley Matthews and Giannis Antetokounmpo before taking a baseline jumper, which he missed. Sigh.
But he was fouled!
With 0.0 seconds on the clock, he was sent to the free-throw line, where he only needed one to win it for the Miami Heat. The calls had clearly been against Miami all night and whether this was legit or a makeup call for the previous Middleton call, it was perfect timing.
He hit the first and then the second for good measure. The Miami Heat took a 2-0 lead.
This one was tough. The refereeing situation made it tougher, but the Miami Heat came through.
I am glad that they did so as I wouldn’t want Jimmy to have had to live with that mistake he made. You need him in the best headspace to continue to proceed as they have. Luckily, he was the one to make it right as well.
While you, sort of, give him a pass, especially because he made right but also because he has been so huge for the Miami Heat all year, you can’t have those types of plays in the biggest moments.
Next. Should the Miami Heat sell high on their young core this offseason?. dark
Either way it went, it’s over, and it finished in the Heat’s favor. You love to see it.
We can’t wait to see Friday’s Game Three though, a chance for the Heat to take a 3-0 series lead!