The Miami Heat had another chance to make a statement on Wednesday night against another one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Handling the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, the Miami Heat would look to do the same in Milwaukee in this contest.
The game started out fast and furious, with the Bucks getting out to a hot start. The first period would finish with 64 total points on the board, 36-28, in Milwaukee’s favor. The Miami Heat would flip the script on them in the second period though, outscoring them, 38-28, to make it 66-64 at halftime.
The Miami Heat would continue to lead in the third period, outscoring the Bucks by two points, but adding to their lead. It seemed as if they would run off with it in the final period until there were about seven minutes left in the contest.
At the 7:12 mark of the fourth period, Gabe Vincent sunk a three-pointer to make the score 113-99 in the Miami Heat’s favor. After that point, the Bucks would proceed to outscore the Heat, 21-6, getting to the final tally of, 120-119, for Milwaukee.
The Miami Heat dropped a tough one in Milwaukee. Though the referees missed a play that, literally, probably cost them the game, they had a huge part in it too.
Tyler Herro had an amazing game. He continued to show why he should, not only, be the league’s Sixth Man Of The Year but, perhaps, its Most Improved Player as well.
He finished with 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on 11-21 from the floor and 6-10 from range. Gabe Vincent continued his stellar play too.
He would go for 21 points in his start for the missing Kyle Lowry, adding in three boards and six helpers, on 8-15 shooting from the floor and 5-11 from deep. Bam Adebayo continued to be aggressive as well, owning Bobby Portis at every opportunity and to a tune of 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists.
Other players played really well too, including Duncan Robinson coming back to life, Max Strus doing the same, and Caleb Martin doing all the work he could do. The guy that wasn’t himself or very good, at all, on Wednesday, though, was Jimmy Butler.
Struggling from the very beginning, he would only finish with six points, three rebounds, and two assists.
It was a very pedestrian game from the Miami Heat’s best player and especially strange as he tends to contribute from a myriad of perspectives, something you would imagine he would have especially done in this one where his scoring wasn’t going.
He’s still the best player on the team though, so you have to live with his rare off nights, as he usually finds a way to come through for his team. The Miami Heat don’t have time to sulk, as they are right back at it Thursday in another tough one.
They’ll head to Brooklyn to face the Nets, a game that might see Kevin Durant’s return.