How To Watch NBA Playoffs First-Round: Heat at Bucks Game 2
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end and with the Play-In Tournament coming to an end, it is officially time for the playoffs to begin!
On Wednesday night, the first-round series between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks will continue, as the two teams will meet in Milwaukee for Game 2.
In what was the biggest upset so far in the postseason, the Heat went into Milwaukee and stole Game 1 from the Bucks by shooting 59.5 percent from the floor, 60.0 percent from three-point range and hanging 130 points on Milwaukee.
Miami, who was the lowest scoring team in the NBA during the regular season, picked apart Milwaukee’s defense and a lot of this had to do with former Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving the game early due to a back injury.
Falling hard on his lower back/tailbone on a layup attempt, Giannis was in immediate pain and was visibly bothered by said injury when he stood up and tried walking around. After going back to the locker room, Antetokounmpo came back out in Game 1 to try and give things a go, but he was not himself and left the game again, only this time to remain in the locker room.
Heading into Game 2, Giannis Antetokounmpo is considered “doubtful,” but the Bucks will continue to monitor his status leading up to the game.
This is a significant development not only for the best team in the league, but for Jimmy Butler and the Heat as well. Already being up 1-0 in this series, Miami is now playing with house money in Milwaukee and if they are able to get past the Bucks again, they could be staring down an opportunity to potentially sweep the 58-win Bucks!
However, Miami is dealing with an injury of their own, as Tyler Herro left Game 1 with a broken right hand and will miss the remainder of this series.
Who will step up for Herro and Antetokounmpo for both the Heat and Bucks? Can Miami pull ahead 2-0 in this series or will Milwaukee even things up?
Here's how to watch Wednesday’s game, with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Heat vs. Bucks
WHO: Miami Heat (1-0) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (0-1)
WHAT: 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs: First-Round, Game 2
WHEN: 9:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 19
WHERE: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV: NBATV
Key Stats & Facts For Heat vs. Bucks
- The Heat and Bucks faced off four times during the regular season, splitting their four meetings with each team going 2-0 on their home floor.
- The Bucks finished the regular season ranking 12th in offensive rating and 4th in defensive rating, while the Heat finished the regular season ranking 25th in offensive rating and 9th in defensive rating.
- Milwaukee is 32-10 at home this season and Miami is 18-24 on the road, including postseason games.
What Happened In Game 1?
April 16, 2023 - Heat 130, Bucks 117
Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks looked lost and the Heat took advantage of them. Jimmy Butler was fantastic with 35 points on 15-27 shooting and Bam Adebayo also put in work, recording 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Kevin Love and Caleb Martin made an impact in this game for the Heat off-the-bench, scoring a combined 33 points. Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis combined for 54 points in this one for Milwaukee, as the Bucks shot just 24.4 percent from three-point range, making only 11 of their 45 shots from the perimeter.
Latest Injury News:
Heat Injuries: Tyler Herro (hand) - Out, Nikola Jovic (back) - Out, Kyle Lowry (knee) - Questionable
Bucks Injuries: Wesley Matthews (calf) - Out, Giannis Antetokounmpo (back) - Doubtful
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED HEAT STARTERS:
- G Gabe Vincent, 6-3 guard: 9.4 points, 2.5 assists (2022-23 regular season stats)
- G/F Max Strus, 6-5 guard/forward: 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds
- F Jimmy Butler, 6-7 forward, 6-7 forward: 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists
- F Kevin Love, 6-8 forward: 7.7 points, 5.7 rebounds
- C Bam Adebayo, 6-9 center: 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds
PROJECTED BUCKS STARTERS:
- G Jrue Holiday, 6-3 guard: 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists
- G Grayson Allen, 6-5 guard: 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds
- F Khris Middleton, 6-8 forward, 6-7 forward: 15.1 points, 4.9 assists
- F Giannis Antetokounmpo (D), 6-11 forward: 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists
- C Brook Lopez, 6-8 center: 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Bucks are currently 6.5-point favorites over the Heat as of Wednesday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 219.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Milwaukee Bucks are back in the postseason for the seventh consecutive season and recently won a championship in 2021.
- The Miami Heat are back in the postseason for the fourth consecutive season and they have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in two of their last three postseason appearances, reaching the NBA Finals in 2020.
- Milwaukee is 47-9 this season when they score at least 110 points. Miami is 35-10 this season when they score at least 110 points, including postseason games.
- The Bucks and Heat have played 14 playoff games against one another and Miami is 9-5 all-time against Milwaukee in the postseason, winning two of the three playoff series they have played.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
