Milwaukee vs. Miami: Bucks Extinguish Heat, 123-115

Feb 5, 2023 - 1:49 PM

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Milwaukee’s winning streak is now at seven games, as they toppled the Miami Heat by a 123-115 victory.

Miami were unable to put much of anything in the hoop to start this one, going just 1-of-10 from deep. Add in the fact that Giannis rattled off 13/4/4 in the opening 12 minutes and that equated to a 34-26 Bucks lead going into the second quarter.

Milwaukee’s lead climbed to double-digits early on in the second quarter, but it didn’t last long. The Heat did a stellar job of staying in it. Eventually, their threes would star to fall — and Tyler Herro’s buzzer-beater trey knotted things up 62 apiece.

Jimmy Butler started coming alive for the Heat in the third, which made things tough for Milwaukee. Going into the fourth, he led all scorers with 32 points. However, it was the Bucks that lead when Khris Middleton hit a buzzer-beating floater to give Milwaukee a 94-92 advantage.

All-Star Jrue Holiday had his fingerprints all over the final quarter. Some timely shots and defensive possessions were massive in Milwaukee nabbing the victory and putting the final nail in Miami’s coffin, 123-115.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks, tallying a 35/15/11 triple-double. Khris Middleton was also impactful coming off the bench with 24 points.

Jimmy Butler was the leading scorer for Miami, rattling off 32 points.

Bonus Bucks Bits

Khris Middleton is well on his way back.

While he continued to come off the bench, Middleton still had quite the impact. In just over 21 minutes played, he mixed up a season-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting and just 1-of-4 from the 3-point line, scoring points elsewhere. It’s absolutely massive for the Bucks that he’s finally gaining his typical form and able to make those timely shots that we’ve become so accustomed to see. The offense always clicks better when his game is on. Yet again, Bud opted to take him out in the closing seconds of the game, respecting his minutes restriction. However, that number will surely continue to climb in the coming games.

21, can you do something for me?

It was quite the effective night for All-Star Jrue Holiday on both ends of the floor. In the fourth quarter, he was monumental. On the offensive side of the ball, he hit some timely threes, including a big transition three. Then on the defensive side, his two steals on Herro essentially ended the game, as his dunk on the other end put the Heat out of reach. This is why he was selected to the All-Star team over other players in the East. Basketball isn’t just about the offensive stats, and Jrue Holiday continues to be a menace on the defensive side of the ball.

Giannis continues to be Giannis.

A game after taking over with a massive 54 point showing, Giannis Antetokounmpo showed up with a casual 35/16/11 performance. The fact he’s able to orchestrate games in such different manners is really telling of how big of a talent he is. When the Bucks need him to take over, he can do that. When there are nights when others are effective, Antetokounmpo senses it and can facilitate to them. There are different ways to tell the tale, but they all lend the same way — with efficiency. He just continues to impress.

Three Observations

• Jevon Carter threes are becoming a thing:

• The only real struggle from Giannis in this one was his free throw shooting. After starting hot, he was unable to keep it going in the second half. He ended up going 9-of-16 from the charity stripe.
• This is pretty cool. Also, that kid will now use paper as his first rock, paper, scissors move for the rest of his life:

• It’s wild to me that the Bucks are playing this well and Bobby Portis still isn’t with them. Just speaks to how truly deep this team is.
• An update on the Culver’s awesomeness:

• This was one to forget for Joe Ingles. In 19 minutes played, he went 0-for-5 from the floor, failing to score a point. It’s not like they were bad opportunities either, as all of his attempts would be defined as good. Despite last night, the Aussie still boasts incredible shooting skills and is expected to rebound just fine.
• Last, Giannis brought some new teammates to his presser. This was so cool to see: