Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat looked fairly different when they met during the first week of the season for a double-header in December.
Although the Heat were without leading man Jimmy Butler and guard Victor Oladipo in the lineup this time around, these new rosters for both teams were interesting to watch last night. It was a rather routine win for the Bucks as they claimed yet another season series over an Eastern Conference opponent with a 122-108 win over the Heat.
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Khris Middleton paved the way for the Bucks as he immediately established a groove by scoring 21 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting from the floor. Also chipping in seven rebounds and seven assists, the forward had himself a fantastic night in a game with major seeding implications.
Following the victory, it is increasingly likely that the Bucks will square off against the Heat in the first round of the postseason.
While that is not set in stone as the standings could shift around on the last day of the regular season today, it seems like it will ultimately pan out that way. That would be a playoff series filled to the brim with storylines, and here are three takeaways from the potential preview in Milwaukee’s win last night.
The Milwaukee Bucks stave off Miami’s red-hot shooting in win over Heat
Miami has proven to be a daunting matchup for Milwaukee throughout the past two seasons because of their prolific 3-point shooting.
Defending the perimeter has been a massive issue for the Bucks and the Heat are stacked with high-octane shooters from top to bottom. This weakness for the Bucks was apparent when the Heat defeated them in last year’s postseason in five games after shooting 37.3 percent on their attempts from 3-point territory.
That same red-hot shooting was on display to a higher degree in last night’s game as the Heat shot 22-of-49 (44.9) percent from behind the arc. Duncan Robinson and Goran Dragic caught fire as they each knocked down five triples apiece while Kendrick Nunn nearly matched that mark with four triples in five attempts.
Although they escaped with the win Saturday night, the Bucks are not likely going to win many games when their opponent knocks down 22 triples. As we’ve previously watched unfold, this Miami team has the necessary pieces to exploit Milwaukee’s most prominent weakness, which is something that will certainly be a significant focus if these two do indeed meet in the first round of the playoffs.