It seems safe to say we can finally exhale after the thrilling conclusion of Game 1 between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat.
In a game that included 16 ties and 17 lead changes, 48 minutes of action was not enough as this game went into overtime for five more. After more back and forth jabs from both teams late, it was Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton that saved the day for the Bucks as he knocked in a jumper to take a 109-107 lead with just 0.5 seconds left to play.
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Middleton’s tough jumper proved crucial as it was indeed the game-winning bucket with Miami’s Jimmy Butler missing a shot at the buzzer in this thrilling opening matchup.
If this contest signals what is yet to come, we are locked in for one tension-filled seven-game series. If the Bucks will eventually come out on top, there are several areas they must look to correct that nearly cost them this opening game.
With that being said, here are three takeaways from Milwaukee’s Game 1 victory over Miami.
The Milwaukee Bucks have an abysmal shooting afternoon in Game 1 win over Heat
Shooting between both of these teams was set to be a massive factor heading into this matchup, which proved true rather quickly.
The Bucks were ice cold offensively all afternoon as they shot an abysmal 5-for-31 from behind the arc in this opening game. Three of those five makes came solely from Khris Middleton, who was the team’s only lifeline from long range. For the Bucks to get a win when they shoot 16.1 percent from 3-point territory is a surprising feat, particularly as the Heat were on the complete opposite side of the spectrum.
Miami was scorching from the perimeter by knocking in 20-of-50 from deep. Sharpshooting forward Duncan Robinson paved the way by shooting 7-for-13 against Milwaukee and scoring 24 points in the process. With defending the perimeter being among the Bucks’ biggest weak points throughout the regular season, Robinson is someone who could have a massive impact during the remainder of the series if he catches fire yet again. The team must devise a game plan for Game 2 on how to slow him down offensively.
The 3-point shooting between these two teams will continue to play a key factor as the series progresses and the Bucks must find their mark from distance. In particular, one player that could alter this series with their shooting is Bryn Forbes, the team’s sharpshooter off the bench. The guard kicked off the series by going 0-for-3 from deep and he must look to have a bounce-back game in the coming days.