Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from Game 1 overtime victory over Miami Heat
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Big 3 fit the billing in Game 1 win over Heat
Milwaukee’s newly formed leading trio hit the big stage for the first time together yesterday and they did not disappoint.
Khris Middleton stole the show with his aforementioned game winning jumper which capped off a team-high 27 point scoring outing on 10-of-22 shooting. Although there were certainly some questionable lapses from the forward throughout, Middleton came up clutch and delivered when it mattered most. Scoring aside, he made his presence known elsewhere by hauling in six rebounds, dishing six assists and grabbing two steals.
It was undoubtedly a more complex afternoon for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished right behind Middleton with 26 points. However, it was far from his best outing as he needed 27 field goal attempts to get there and connected on just 10 of them. It did not help that the forward struggled mightily from the free throw line by shooting just 6-of-13, which nearly cost them the game entirely as he missed several late. He made good elsewhere by tallying 18 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
While his offensive struggles were on full display, Antetokounmpo did a solid job defensively when matched up against Miami’s Jimmy Butler. According to NBA.com/stats, Butler scored just five points on 2-for-6 shooting when guarded by Antetokounmpo over 31.7 partial possessions. Butler would finish the game shooting just 4-for-22 from the floor entirely as the Bucks made it hard for him all afternoon. Keeping those tenacious defensive efforts consistent and limiting Butler’s production will be critical in this series.
Lastly, Jrue Holiday’s first playoff action since 2018 was not disappointing. Despite shooting a vile 0-for-5 from long range, the guard finished with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field. After struggling early, Holiday turned it up a notch in the third quarter by scoring 11 of his points during that period. Holiday also finished with a double-double by gathering 11 rebounds while also handing out three assists and snatching three steals.
Despite these eye-popping numbers across the board, perhaps what stood out the most in this matchup was the minutes distribution from head coach Mike Budenholzer. Every member of the Big 3 played over 40 minutes against the Heat, which is quite the change compared to last season. It appears the coach is finally willing to let go of the leash and let his top players see the floor for an extended time.
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These two teams will pick up right where they left off when they square off again on Monday night. This will be a crucial Game 2 for both teams involved and you can catch the action at 6:30 p.m. CST on TNT as well as Bally Sports Wisconsin for those living locally.