Miami Heat Roundtable: Predicting Results & Score Of Bucks Season Opener

"Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks look on during the second quarter in Game Three of the Eastern Conference first-round(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)"

The Miami Heat will officially tip off their NBA season on Thursday. Luckily for them, they’ll get the opportunity to do it against the team that, unfortunately, sent them home packing last season.

My Take

Welcoming the Bucks to Miami, the Heat have a prime opportunity to get their season off to a good start against a Bucks team that looked extremely impressive in a season-opening win of their own over the Brooklyn Nets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t looked hurt at all or bothered by his knee issue, as he went on to have his typical all-around showing. However, they didn’t leave the game unscathed, as Jrue Holiday went down with what’s being labeled a “heel contusion” early.

It still didn’t hinder them enough to not roll over the Nets though. Will that same thing be the case on Thursday against the Miami Heat?

Listed as probable, Holiday might go but then again, he might not.

Either way it goes though and here, the Miami Heat should win this game. Giannis will be the best player on the floor, regardless, but whether Holiday is on the floor or not, the next best three will play for Miami.

During the playoffs last season, the Miami Heat looked liked a far less quality of a team than the Bucks did. In all actuality though, that isn’t true and the gap isn’t that big between them.

That much was proven in the NBA Bubble the year prior, though the further development of Giannis and the addition of Holiday gave them a boost for last season. Well, the Miami Heat added Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler is well-rested, and you have to account for the development of guys like Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and even a guy like Max Strus… among others.

For these reasons, plus the fact that the Miami Heat certainly still have a good memory of what happened to them last postseason and though they are acting nonchalant about it all, the Miami Heat should win. They’ll win the game by seven in a pretty decent scoring affair.

Final Result And Score: Miami Heat Over Bucks, 111-104

Miami Heat Roundtable: Results & Score Of Season Opener… A Blowout Coming?

And so, the rivalry continues. Thursday will mark 145 days since the Miami Heat were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks last season.

Isiah’s Take – (@isiah_nba)

For Miami’s sake, it’s hard to find a better opportunity to make a statement against than the defending champions — as Milwaukee enters this year with a large target on their backs. Although, the expectation here is that Miami proves they’re the Bucks’ largest competitor in the Eastern Conference — as I believe the Heat deliver a 20-point blowout at home.

Creating a number of defensive frustrations, Miami proves that they’ve reignited their title hopes and it all starts in game one of 82. Tyler Herro will lead all Heat scorers with no less than 25 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has recently began to show some improved range and shot-creating ability, should have a strong night against a smaller Miami frontline. However, the Heat will attempt to send several bodies his way, including former Buck, P.J. Tucker.

If Miami can minimize their turnovers, adjust to the speed of Lowry’s transition play, and feed off the home crowd’s energy, this one’s all theirs.

Final Result And Score: Miami Heat Blow Past Bucks, 121-103

Miami Heat Roundtable: Will The Heat’s Bench Be Key In The Game?

The time has come. Miami Heat Basketball is back.

Victor’s Take – (@TheRaunchyRonch)

After months of waiting and a forgettable end to last season, the good guys are once again ready for another run at the title. But as fate would have it, it’s going to be an early test for them, as standing in their way to start the campaign are the defending NBA Champions.

Fresh off of their opening night win against the Brooklyn Nets are the Milwaukee Bucks, who will surely give the Miami Heat all that they can handle on Thursday. All eyes will be on this 2021 Eastern Conference First Round rematch, but the South Beach team is a different beast now.

The retooled squad definitely has what it takes to win it all — at least on paper. And the first game of the season can be seen as an early hurdle to overcome, to prove their worth, and silence the critics.

It will also be a preview of what Miami Heat Faithful can expect from their team this season and the likes of Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, and Markieff Morris, all playing in front of the best fans in the world.

The biggest challenge they’ll face is obviously defending the reigning Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He also has one of the best supporting casts in the NBA, led by Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Brook Lopez.

A tall order for sure, but not impossible to overcome. Here are some of the keys to winning:

Controlling The Pace: With the Miami Heat having a smaller lineup, running on every possible opportunity is vital. Having Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and even Bam Adebayo leading the break will result in easy baskets, which could be the difference between winning and losing.

Gang Rebounding: Bam Adebayo is an All-Star for a reason. But, he can’t do it alone by getting all the rebounds for the team.

He’ll need everyone boxing-out and snatching some boards. If the Miami Heat win the rebound battle, they’re tougher to beat and that definitely stands in the opener.

Bench Production: The Miami Heat have added some players who are all capable of contributing whenever their names are called. Tyler Herro, Dewayne Dedmon, Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven, and Caleb Martin are just some of them, while all of them could play crucial roles for the team all season long.

It won’t hurt to see their immediate impact from the start of the campaign. Nothing short of a barn burner is expected from Thursday night’s matchup, as even the NBA marked this as a must-watch game.

While the visiting team may still be high after recently receiving their rings, the Miami Heat could see this as a chance to send a strong message across and not just to the Milwaukee Bucks, but to the rest of the league as well.

Of course, we expect the Miami Heat to take the W on the night. The home-advantage, fresher legs, a chip on their shoulders, and all the players raring to go are more than enough reasons to believe owning a 1-0 record is just around the corner.

Final Result And Score: Miami Heat Win, 126-122

These are our predictions and hopefully, the Miami Heat can make good on them.