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The Milwaukee Bucks completed a 4-0 series sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. The victory was sweeter than usual for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks as they exacted revenge on the Heat for last year's playoffs. The Bucks started the game slow but eventually turned it up a notch and got the win.
The game was a nail-biter for both sides as the outcome wasn't decided until the final few minutes. The Heat kept trying to push back but the Bucks' scoring punches gave the former no chance. The men from South Beach played with little intensity in the second half and it almost felt like they had given up and thrown in the towel.
The Milwaukee Bucks' Big Three delivered once again as Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo made major contributions to this victory. Brook Lopez bullied Bam Adebayo in the paint. Meanwhile, Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis knocked down crucial three-point shots.
So without further ado, let's take a look at five talking points from the Milwaukee Bucks' Game Four victory over the Miami Heat.
#1 Miami Heat started the game all guns blazing
The Miami Heat approached this elimination game like they should have, firing on all cylinders. They contested all of the Milwaukee Bucks' three-point attempts and shut them down with 0-9 from beyond the arc to begin the game. The Miami Heat mounted a 10-point lead to begin with, early in the first quarter.
The Miami Heat attacked the rim and drew fouls on Giannis Antetokounmpo. Foul trouble for Giannis led to easy buckets in the paint as the 2020 DPOY couldn't chase blocks and be aggressive on defense. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Trevor Ariza all had double figures in the first half as they entered the game with a sense of urgency. Erik Spoelstra implemented zone defenses as they tried to disrupt the Milwaukee Bucks' offense and cover driving lanes.
#2 Bryn Forbes' early sharpshooting kept the Milwaukee Bucks within reach
Bryn Forbes led all scorers at the half with 13 points. He dropped four three-pointers in the first half, including a four-point play. The Milwaukee Bucks' offense seemed very lousy to begin with, and the Miami Heat took advantage of every turnover and missed a three-pointer. The Heat started the game with a 10-point lead and every time the Heat went on a hot streak, Forbes would respond with a corner three to kill the momentum. He ended the game with 22 points after shooting 7-14 threes.
#3 Foul Trouble on the Heat complicated things for them
The Milwaukee Bucks were having their way and it was visibly frustrating for the Miami Heat. Goran Dragic even slammed Khris Middleton to the floor after a block against him as he couldn't deal with the shot getting blocked. It resulted in a double foul on both of the said players. However, Heat foul trouble started in the second half as coach Erik Spoelstra was forced to bench certain players.
Four of the five Heat starters had more than 3 fouls each - Bam Adebayo (3), Goran Dragic (4), Trevor Ariza (3) and Duncan Robinson (4). Adebayo's backup at center, Dewayne Dedmon, also racked up three fouls by the end of the night. However, the foul trouble for Robinson was the most costly for the Heat as he was benched and that led to a lack of spacing and shooting.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks' third quarter put the nail in the coffin
The Miami Heat were leading at halftime and it seemed like they would fight to avoid a sweep. But Mike Budenholzer's men came out of the locker, fired up and ready to put this series to bed. They started the third quarter with a spectacular run, not only cutting down Miami's lead but creating one of their own. The Miami Heat's fouling helped as the Milwaukee Bucks entered the bonus with seven minutes left to play in the period. Afraid to put the Bucks on the charity stripe, the Heat stopped being aggressive on the defensive end and allowed easy buckets.
The Milwaukee Bucks' run took the heart out of the Miami Heat players as they kept fighting, but to no avail. The Bucks maintained their intensity on the defensive end and capitalized on fast-break opportunities to close the quarter strong.
#5 Giannis Antetokounmpo records historic triple-double
Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists for the game. With that statline, he became only the third Milwaukee Bucks player in franchise history to post a triple-double in the NBA playoffs. That speaks volumes for his postseason performances as he has been eliminated twice despite being the MVP and the first seed in the Eastern Conference.
The other two Bucks to do so were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970 and Paul Pressey in 1986.
Guess the Lakers players!
