Backed up by an NBA-record 29 three-pointers, the Milwaukee Bucks demolished the Miami Heat in the first night of a back-to-back series.
Well, the Milwaukee Bucks have established a knack for bouncing back for this young 2020-21 season, haven’t they?
They certainly showed that Tuesday night in their 144-97 victory over the Miami Heat in their rematch with the reigning Eastern Conference champs, who put an end to the Bucks’ run last season.
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All night long, the Bucks just blitzed the Jimmy Butler-less Heat from the 3-point line and didn’t let up, even with the game well in hand by the second half.
And by showing no mercy and exorcising some playoff demons from last year, the Bucks came away with their biggest road victory in franchise history.
So without further ado, let’s dive into what all stood out the most in the Bucks’ dismantling of the Miami Heat Tuesday night.
Takeaway no. 3 – It’s in the record books
The story of the Bucks’ massive victory, for those that were able to watch it all live (looking at you TNT), was their historic 3-point party.
It was rookie Bucks guard Sam Merrill who did the honors of knocking in the Bucks’ record-breaking 28th triple on the night with 6:07 remaining in the final frame and it was Bryn Forbes who added one more triple for good measure a few minutes later. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the lone exception to not hit a 3-pointer Tuesday night and it was Jrue Holiday who led the charge by going 6-for-10 from deep.
All of this came after the Bucks had hit franchise-record 16 threes over the first half, which had fully separated them from the Heat at that point in the game, and they surpassed their 22 threes set during the 2018-19 season. Needless to say, they didn’t lose their hot shooting in between the break.
They often say it’s a make or miss league and did the Bucks ever prove it, especially after just hitting seven triples and went18.4 percent from three against the Knicks on Sunday night. While they won’t go out and break shooting records every night, we certainly saw the improved 3-point firepower the Bucks sought to gain from the offseason.