Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from season series against Miami Heat
The Milwaukee Bucks will face their playoff demons when they take on the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs this year.
Game 1 of this highly anticipated rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals will kick off this Saturday, though it remains to be seen at what time. Still, the Bucks going up against the reigning Eastern Conference champions stands as a fitting test for them to overcome going into the playoffs.
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Of course, both sides aren’t the same squads that faced off against one another in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year and that certainly showed in the three meetings that had throughout the regular season.
So without further ado, let’s explore some of the bigger trends that emerged in the Milwaukee Bucks’ season series against the Miami Heat.
Milwaukee Bucks caught fire from 3-point range in season series against Heat
One of the biggest points of emphasis that came out of the Bucks’ flameout to the Heat during last year’s playoffs was the limits to their overall shotmaking, especially when letting it fly.
Sure, the Bucks have been leading the charge in hoisting up shots from long range to a prominent degree since the arrival of Mike Budenholzer. But as Miami contained superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from getting to the rack, the Bucks simply didn’t have the firepower to prop up their perimeter attack as they shot 54-for-165 from three (32.7 percent) in those five Conference Semifinals games.
With that in mind, Bucks general manager Jon Horst set out to add more dangerous shooters to help level up the Bucks’ offense. It’s safe to say he did just that, considering what we saw from Milwaukee throughout the regular season.
Of course, when the Bucks hit an NBA record 29 3-pointers as the Bucks did in their 144-97 victory over the Heat back on December 29 of last year, that showed the full breadth of their offensive potency. In fact, that record-breaking performances accounted for exactly half of the Bucks’ 58 made threes throughout the season series with the Heat.
Bucks fans won’t expect the team to hit that benchmark again anytime soon, but the fact Milwaukee has improved upon their 3-point efficiency will be critical upgrade when going up against the Heat’s swarming defense once again.