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NBA title contenders the Milwaukee Bucks posted a comfortable victory over the Miami Heat in game 4 of their playoff series. Following their result, they became the first team to qualify for the Eastern Conference semifinals. They will take on the winners of the series between the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics.
The Milwaukee Bucks started the game slowly and were especially poor from the three point zone. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a triple-double, his first in the playoffs. Khris Middleton had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday also finished with a double-double. Brook Lopez top-scored for the Milwaukee Bucks and finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds.
The Miami Heat were highly impressive in the first half but could not compete in the second. They threw away a seven point first-half lead as Khris Middleton and Giannis took control in the second half. Bam Adebayo top-scored for the Heat with 21 points and had 13 rebounds, while Jimmy Butler registered a triple-double.
Milwaukee Bucks get off to slow start, suffer due to poor 3-point shooting
The Milwaukee Bucks started off poorly. They got none of their first nine three-pointers on target. Bryan Forbes scored his team’s first three-pointer with the last accurate shot of the first quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo started the first half with six failed attempts and finished with 1-7 on shooting.The Milwaukee Bucks shot at just over 40% from the field in the first half, and were poor from the three point zone, shooting at 28.3%.
On the other hand, the Miami Heat were shooting at over 53% as Trevor Ariza started the game with three buckets from beyond the arc. They converted seven of their 16 three-point attempts in the first half and had stretched their lead to as high as 11 points. The Miami Heat’s bench players in the form of Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro scored eight and seven points respectively. Iguodala had three steals as both teams were guilty of committing unforced turnovers. Jimmy Butler had 10 points and eight assists by the end of the second quarter. The Heat entered the second half with a seven point lead.
Milwaukee Bucks fight back, Khris Middleton and Bryan Forbes lead the charge
By the end of the third quarter, the Milwaukee Bucks had fought their way to a six-point lead. Khris Middleton came up with multiple clutch plays as Bryan Forbes hit some crucial threes to help their team take control of proceedings. They shot at 46% in the third quarter and were hugely improved from the free throw line. Antetokounkpo was poor with his shooting but was everywhere else. He reached triple-double figures within the first minute of the fourth quarter and finished with a stat-line of 20 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds.
The Bucks responded with a highly intense defensive performance in the second half and did not give too many easy shots to the Miami Heat in the second half. They were efficient on the offensive end as Giannis took charge in the final quarter. Bryan Forbes was in commanding form throughout the game as the Bucks ended up winning 120-103.
