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Miami Heat: Season opener vs. Bucks will set the tone for a great season

By Jack Simone

MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks battle for control of a loose ball during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena on December 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks battle for control of a loose ball during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena on December 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Miami Heat
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks strips the ball from Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The Miami Heat have their first game of the regular season tonight vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. A matchup that is slowly turning into a true NBA rivalry.

These two teams have faced off against each other in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The Heat took home the win two years ago, while the Bucks won last season.

The funniest part about it is, the team who won each of those matchups would go on to play in the NBA Finals. Now, they face off once again for Miami’s first game of the year.

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How the Miami Heat season opener vs. the Milwaukee Bucks will set the tone for a great season

Everything about this game leads to the belief that it will be amazing. From the recent history to the players to the playstyle, both fanbases should be ecstatic to watch this one.

This game should be an absolute battle on the defensive side of the floor. However, Milwaukee was hot in their season opener, so the Heat have a tall task ahead of them if they want to slow them down.

The keyword there is “slow them down,” as opposed to “shut them down.” It’s impossible to shut down a player as dominant as Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Miami Heat have a great chance at slowing him down.

No other team in the NBA has two to three players that can effectively cover Antetokounmpo. In fact, most teams don’t even have one.

If Miami really wanted to, they could throw Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, or Bam Adebayo on Antetokounmpo and they could be effective. That’s a luxury that not many teams have.

Slowing him down is going to be a major key for the Heat. The other one is slowing down Milwaukee’s three-point shooters, Khris Middleton included.

Meanwhile, the Miami Heat need to get things going on the offensive end as well. With Kyle Lowry at the helm, that side of things should look a lot better this year.

Doing all of these things will set the Heat up nicely for a successful season. This game is the perfect test for them to start the year.

All-in-all, this matchup should be one of the most fun matchups to watch all season. These are two teams that are going to be around for a while in the title hunt.

Next. Biggest Preseason Takeaways Before Season Opener. dark

So tonight, sit back, relax, and enjoy some great Miami Heat basketball. There’s a long season ahead, and this is the perfect game to start it off with.

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