The Milwaukee Bucks had one of their greatest playoff victories in recent times. A historic 3-point shooting night, backing the reigning 2 time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, led to them outscoring the Miami Heat in the first quarter 46-18. This is the largest score gap in a quarter in NBA playoff history.
The Bucks shot 41.5 % from the three-point line as a team. This brings their team average close to what Stephen Curry has been averaging this year which is 42.1 %. They dominated the Heat in the interior and outrebounded them 61-36. The Greek Freak had a massive game of 31 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. He completely dominated in the paint proving he was the best player on the court in terms of impact. Bryn Forbes from the Bucks played a pivotal role as he went red hot from three, and ended the game with 22. Forbes catching fire from three allowed for more ball movement and rotation. This allowed for the team to share the ball well and play team basketball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q6HcFqw4Fo
Jrue Holiday had a phenomenal game as well. He scored 11 points with 7 rebounds and a game-high 15 assists. He has lived up to the reputation he established with the Pelicans this season with the Bucks. The series moves back to Miami, where the Heat face the daunting task of trying to even the series and force a game 5
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What went wrong for Miami Heat in the blowout loss?
The Eastern conference’s defending champions; Miami Heat faced several issues with injury and covid protocols. This hampered their season and seeding. They made a push for the playoffs to avoid the play in and gained the 6th seed. This season, the Heat traded for Victor Oladipo from the Houston Rockets, unfortunately, he has been ruled out with a quadricep injury. Jimmy Butler was also unable to play in any of the 3 regular-season games between the Bucks and Heat. In this pivotal Game 2, he scored a mere 10 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists. Jimmy needs to step up and improve his game for the Heat to make a playoff push.
Milwaukee Bucks cannot afford to slip up after a 2-0 lead
The Greek Freak and the Bucks are far from safe. If the Heat win and a Game 7 is forced, the Bucks are as likely to choke as any team. The Bucks have a solid lineup of three-point shooters and playmakers to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with. However the only time they saw a game 7 was a loss against the Celtics in 2018. Therefore the Bucks have to try to take both games in Miami and Close the series. They must also prepare for the worst If Miami actually ends up making the series 2-2.
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