Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 113-84 Game 3 win over Miami Heat
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks showcase their defensive potential in Game 3 win over Heat
The Bucks experimented with their defensive schemes all throughout the regular season and it is immediately paying off in these playoffs.
The entire unit was clicking on the defensive side of the ball in last night’s win by holding Miami to just 84 points after 48 minutes of action. The Bucks played relentless basketball on the defensive end as the Heat struggled to score all night by shooting 32-for-85 (37.6 percent) from the floor and 9-for-32 (28.1 percent) from beyond the perimeter.
Per NBA.com/stats, the Heat’s 82.4 offensive rating is the lowest mark they’ve set for a single game, both regular season and playoffs combined.
A common theme of this series has been how well Milwaukee has shut down Miami’s key rotational players, which continued in this matchup. Although Jimmy Butler clocked his best outing in these three games by tallying 19 points, he was just 7-of-17 from the floor as he was hounded by the Bucks’ best defenders all night.
Needing a spark, the Heat slid Goran Dragic into the starting point guard slot, but it was to no avail as he scored just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting. Lastly, they held Miami’s sharpshooters in check as Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson combined to shoot 5-for-16 from the floor.
With names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and P.J. Tucker in the fold, the Bucks have the personnel to be a formidable foe on the defensive end. They have played championship-level defense throughout these first three games, and this team must keep their foot on the gas with their robust defense in these playoffs.
Asked P.J. Tucker what allowed the Bucks' defense to hold the Heat to 84 points tonight.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) May 28, 2021
His response: "We dogs. That's all we talk about. That's all I ever talk about. We gotta be dogs. People's perceptions of us and what people think in the past, we're erasing all of that."
Next. 3 Bucks role players that have stepped up in series vs. Heat. dark
The Bucks will look to keep this momentum rolling as they can sweep the series against the Heat with a win on Saturday. That should be a thrilling matchup between these two and you can catch the action at 12:30 pm CST on TNT or Bally Sports Wisconsin for those viewing locally.