Photo via Twitter / Bucks
In Monday’s preview of game two of the Eastern Conference first round, I mentioned that “if you were expecting anything along the lines of the 47 point drubbing that Milwaukee gave the Heat back in December, you’ll be hard pressed for anything near that level of comfort.” That sentence aged poorly, as the Bucks poured on 46 points against Miami in the first quarter alone, and 78 by halftime. It was the start that Milwaukee needed in what hopes to be a lengthy postseason run.
The offense stole the show, with Milwaukee hitting 22 three-pointers for a franchise record in a playoff game. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the scoring with 31 points, but the second leading scorer came from the bench, with Bryn Forbes putting up 22 points, including going six of nine from beyond the three-point arc. Jrue Holiday recorded a double-double with 15 assists, and Milwaukee’s big three made their presence felt all over the court on Monday night.
Miami once again had five players in double figures, but none scoring more than center Dewayne Dedmon’s 19 points off the bench. Forward Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo had a quiet 16 and 10 points respectively, but were no match for an aggressive Bucks defense. Everything simply clicked for Milwaukee on Monday night, with the team spreading the ball to combat defensive pressure on Giannis. It’s clear that the Bucks have countered the strategy that worked well for Miami in last season’s playoff matchup.
With a two game lead, the Bucks travel to Miami for games three and four, the first of which will tip off on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., airing on TNT. While Fiserv Forum held over 9,000 fans at approximately 50% capacity on Monday, the Heat recently raised their attendance capacity at American Airlines Arena to roughly 17,000 fans, almost the equivalent of a sell-out in Milwaukee. The atmosphere will be louder than Milwaukee has faced in some time, but with a two-game lead, they still have the possibility of sweeping their opening round series in their sights.
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