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Bucks Vs. Heat Game Four
Going into game four of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the news that Giannis Antetokounmpo would return to the Milwaukee Bucks’ lineup seemed like an omen that Milwaukee would settle in and take the series from here on out. Giannis missed game two, and then sat out of game three with a lower back contusion that he suffered early in the first game of the series in Milwaukee. All seemed right in the world, provided that the Bucks could pull out a victory in Miami, a place that they haven’t won all season, and on Monday night, they hit yet another roadblock.
Milwaukee took the lead early, and wouldn’t relinquish it until the final quarter. While there wasn’t a demonstrative burst of offense from either team, as we had seen in the past two games, the Bucks were able to fend off the Heat by responding whenever they made a big shot. They went big against Miami’s undersized lineup, with Brook Lopez leading the way for Milwaukee offensively. He would finish the night with 35 points, and Giannis with 26, but that wasn’t enough to stop Jimmy Butler, who had the fourth-best playoff scoring performance in NBA history with 56 to propel Miami to a 119-114 win.
The Bucks had a 10-point lead with just six minutes to play, and it looked almost certain that the best-of-seven series would head back to Milwaukee on Wednesday night, knotted up at two games each. That’s when Butler, who had already had a career game, came to life for a clutch performance. The former Marquette star led the charge on an unbelievable 13-0 run for Miami, thanks to some panicked turnovers from the Bucks and a breakaway dunk that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. The writing was on the wall from then on out, and now the Bucks will have to do the improbable after racking up the NBA’s best regular season record this year.
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While the severity of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury is unknown beyond saying that it was a contusion, the decision to not suit up in game three is now going to be in the crosshairs if Milwaukee cannot come back from a 3-1 series deficit, something that has only been done 13 times in league history. It seems as though Milwaukee thought that game two was expendable, and now must win three straight in order to advance to the second round of the playoffs. While a career night certainly threw a wrench in the team’s plans, it may be a case of the Bucks playing with their food that ultimately upsets their stomachs.
Game five of the Eastern Conference first round emanates from Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night with an 8:30 p.m. local tip time. It’s win or go home for the Milwaukee Bucks, in a series that has proven to be much more difficult on the floor than it looked on paper.
