NBA Playoffs – Milwaukee vs Miami

Miami takes advantage of Jimmy Butler’s most scoring night in the Playoffs to hit first against Milwaukee.

Nine days of rest and a boycott stoppage did not cut the pace of the Miami Heat. It remains undefeated in the postseason and is already up 1-0 in the second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. It was beaten 115-104 by Jimmy Butler and stifling second-half defence.

Butler scored 40 points, surpassing his career-high postseason record of April 13 of last year with the Sixers against Brooklyn. It included key baskets in the final minutes of a game they lost 96-95 in the middle of the previous period.

Miami’s defence deserves a special mention. Milwaukee scored 40 points in the first-period limit to 23 points or less in the final three.
Although Giannis Antetokounmpo had foul problems in the first half, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton assumed the weight of the offence with Eric Bledsoe out due to a muscle injury. Milwaukee went to win it by 11 in the first half. From the hand of 21 from their second All-Star and the pivot.

But Lopez got into trouble for fouls in the first minute of the third quarter. And that’s when the game gets complicated, as only Korver was the only player besides Middleton, Giannis and Lopez with more than 10 points.

Miami was reducing the deficit, taking advantage of the losses (19 that generated 28 points). And that Goran Dragic was also on, with 27 points.

Antetokounmpo was a triple-double assist (18-10-9). But Miami showed that it has enough defences and a scheme focused on closing the painting (only 24 points in the restricted zone) and that someone else wins. In Game 1, they failed.

Butler scored 27 of his 40 after the break, including 12 in a row. And in the third quarter to take the first lead since the fourth quarter.
An Antetokounmpo tray put them up 96-95 in the middle of the last quarter. But Butler scored 9 of his team’s next 11 to take a 106-98 lead that they would no longer let go.