Milwaukee Bucks vs Miami Heat Prediction & Match Preview - April 24th, 2023 | Game 4, 2023 NBA Playoffs

The Miami Heat survived the Milwaukee Bucks’ continued hot-shooting in the first half and Jimmy Butler’s fall in the third quarter to win Game 3. Miami grabbed a 2-1 series lead with a resounding 121-99 win.

Milwaukee hit 10-18 3-pointers in the first half of Game 3 after dropping 25 in Game 2. Despite the torrid shooting from deep, the Heat still took a 66-53 advantage by halftime.

Butler exploded for 17 points in the first quarter and the Miami Heat rattled off 19 unanswered points between the first and third periods. The versatile forward’s night, however, ended when he fell and landed on his back in the third quarter.

“Jimmy Buckets” went into the locker room for treatment but came back after a few minutes. Miami, however, didn’t need him to finish the job as the Heat eventually built a 29-point lead that the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t overcome.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was still unavailable in Game 3. He was ruled questionable for Game 4 on Monday night. The Bucks don’t want to go down 1-3 before Game 5 in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

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Where to watch

Game 4 of the series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat will start at 7:30 PM IST. TNT will feature the game on national TV while Bally Sports Sun and Bally Sports Wisconsin will handle local coverage.

The game can also be streamed via the NBA League Pass.

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Game preview

Game 4 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat should favor the healthier team. If Giannis Antetokounmpo returns and Jimmy Butler is out, Milwaukee will have the decisive edge. The Heat have already lost Tyler Herro to a broken right hand in Game 1. Potentially losing Butler to a glute injury might be too big to overcome.

Even if Butler is available but compromised, the Bucks should have the advantage. Milwaukee’s roster on paper is deeper than Miami’s. The Bucks still managed to win one game without Antetokounmpo in the lineup.

The Heat are also halfway through pulling off a massive upset. The last time an eighth-seeded team eliminated a top-ranked team was in 2012 when the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls.

The Milwaukee Bucks don’t want to be associated with that kind of record and will certainly go out for a win. Miami is also looking to grab a stranglehold on the series by winning Game 4.

Regardless of whether Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo are available on Monday night, both teams will desperately go for a win.

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Game prediction

Spread: (Bucks -5.5)

Total (O/U): 217.5

Moneyline: Bucks (-225) vs Heat (+180)

The Miami Heat shot 59.5% from the field in Game 1, including 60% (15-25) of their 3-point shots. They followed it up with another scorcher in Game 3 with 53.6%, making 48.5% (16-33) of their attempts from deep.

This is from a team that hit only 46% in the regular season, 26th in the entire NBA. They also averaged just 34.4% from behind the arc before the playoffs. The Heat have been blistering from all over the court, with Tyler Herro playing just two quarters in the series.

The Miami Heat have beaten the Milwaukee Bucks twice by shooting the lights out. If they can somehow keep it up, they will have a good chance of grabbing a 3-1 and putting the Bucks on the cusp of elimination.

With or without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks will come out of Game 4 swinging. They were one of the top defensive teams in the regular season and will count on that part of their game to step up big-time.

Milwaukee Bucks 120, Miami Heat 110