The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a 106-103 road win without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo available against the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center tonight, marking the Bucks’ fifth win in a row. The Bucks improved their record to 9-9 on the season while the Heat remain below .500 with a 7-8 record.
The Bucks had Damian Lillard lead them with 37 points (10-17 FG) and 12 assists, with Brook Lopez‘s 13 points (5-6 FG) being the most scored by any non-Lillard Buck on the night. Other double-digit scorers include Bobby Portis (11 PTS, 6 REB), Pat Connaughton (10 PTS, 8 REB), and Taurean Prince (10 PTS).Â
The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler scoring 23 points (6-12 FG) and five assists, while Tyler Herro put up 18 points (5-14 FG), five rebounds, and five assists. Terry Rozier put up 17 points (7-9 FG) while Bam Adebayo scored 16 points (6-9 FG) with five rebounds and five assists. Duncan Robinson had a decent 11 points (4-7 FG) with five rebounds and five assists.Â
Here are the major factors behind how the Bucks managed to pull this much-needed win off.
Damian Lillard And Team-Wide Hot Shooting
Damian Lillard’s incredible start—25 points in the first half and a comfortable double-digit halftime lead—vaulted the Bucks ahead. Lillard has been far more consistent this season than in his debut year with the Bucks, averaging 25.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists so far and showing he’s still one of the best guards in the NBA.
Lillard set the tone early for the entire team, as three-point shooting was the biggest saving grace for the Bucks in this narrow win. They shot 20-42 (47.6 3P%) from three as a team, with every single player who got minutes attempting at least one three-pointer in the win. Lillard made eight three-pointers, Brook Lopez (13 PTS) went perfect on his three attempts, and AJ Green (9 PTS) hit two of his three outside shots on the night in clutch time to quash the hopes of a Heat comeback.
The team did have shooting luck on their side, but Lillard broke through the Heat’s defense to establish the Bucks as a major threat without Giannis available in this win. He set a tone and the entire team understood the assignment, keeping the three-point volume up against the Heat, who shot 10-29 (43.5 3P%) from three-point range in the loss.
Bucks In A Great Rhythm
The Bucks have proved a lot of their doubters wrong after the last two weeks of performances. Even though we prematurely wrote the Bucks off and said how struggling to make the Playoffs this season could launch the franchise into a decade of darkness, the Bucks have been quick to allay any fears of the team failing to make the Playoffs. This win was their fifth in a row and their seventh in the last eight games.
Head coach Doc Rivers has started to trust more of his players and is deploying them in interesting ways that maximize their skill set. This is obvious with how he uses players like Andre Jackson Jr. (6 PTS, 9 REB) and AJ Green (9 PTS), with Jackson being relied on for defense and Green used as one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. Many of the players don’t put up consistent numbers from game to game, but they did enough to earn this win.
Giannis was averaging 2.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists this season before missing this game, proving to be one of the most productive players in the NBA. If he’s back for the Bucks’ next game against the Washington Wizards, the franchise can finally be above .500 for the first time this season. The vibes in Milwaukee are great and the players will look to maximize their positive momentum for as long as possible.
Miami’s Depth Got Exposed
The Heat were considered to be one of the middling teams in the East coming into this season, a reputation they haven’t really done anything to shake off by being a very average team in the East this season. They don’t look like title contenders although the franchise is obviously still hoping to bring a Larry O’Brien back to the city of Miami with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. With Jimmy’s declining production and a tough season for Adebayo, the Heat haven’t gotten what they need from the rotation.
The Heat played 11 players against the Bucks, with five of them combining for just 10 points (2 each) in 56 minutes of action between them. That sort of production from half of the rotation is a death bullet, especially when the highest scorer on the team was Jimmy Butler with just 23 points. Adebayo and Herro scored under 20 points, while Terry Rozier should’ve gotten more minutes for his efficient scoring (17 PTS) performance in just 20 minutes of action.
The team doesn’t look as sturdy defensively as we’ve come to expect with their offense remaining similarly questionable. Without a deep cast of rotational players to rely on, the Heat might be headed toward a rough season with potentially another Play-In appearance.
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