Bucks Zone

The positives and negatives of the Milwaukee Bucks' Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat

Milwaukee’s three-point shooting will play a key role in the succeeding games.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

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Here’s a look at what went wrong and what went right for the Milwaukee Bucks in their Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday night.

Of course, the worst thing that happened for the Bucks in Game 1 was the premature exit of main man Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered a back contusion after a hard fall in the first quarter.

But there was a silver lining in the loss, something that Milwaukee could inspire them to succeed in the following games.

Taking over for the Bucks

Khris Middleton showed that he is playoff ready when he erupted for 33 points, marking the 10th time in his career that he scored 30-plus points in a playoff game.

Khris’ career-high for points in a playoff game is 40, which he did in the NBA Finals against Phoenix on July 14, 2021. He is only the third Bucks player to have ten or more 30-point playoff games, according to Stathead.

Antetokounmpo leads the list with 32, followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 30.

Aside from Middleton, Jrue Holiday was also brilliant in Game 1 when he collected 16 points and 16 assists to become the second Bucks player in team history to have 16 points and 16 assists in a postseason game.

The other Buck player to accomplish such a feat was Paul Pressey, who recorded 23 points and 16 assists in a victory versus the 76ers in the 1986 playoffs.

What went wrong

Milwaukee losing Game 1 could be mainly attributed to Giannis’ early exit, but the outcome could have been different if the Bucks had been able to defend well.

In Game 1, Milwaukee surrendered 130 points, which is the second-highest amount of points scored by an opponent in a playoff loss for the Bucks at home. While they allowed the usually low-scoring Heat to score at will, the Bucks couldn’t make their shots.

The Bucks shot just 11-for-45 from the three-point area in Game 1. Cold three-point shooting usually leads to loss for Milwaukee, as in their last three losses in the playoffs, they just shot 24.1%, 12.1%, and 24.4% from the 3-point area

Three-point shooting is a key

Numbers show that Milwaukee’s three-point shooting plays a crucial role in winning playoff games.

A report by Behind the Bucks showed that in 61 playoff games since 2019, Milwaukee is 22-5 (.815 winning percentage) in games where they shoot .350 or better on threes, while they are 16-18 (.471) when they shoot under .350.

In playoff games since 2019, where they shoot under .250 in 3-pointers, the Bucks are 6-7 (.462).

Milwaukee also failed to contain Jimmy Butler, who had 35 points in Game 1. It was the second time that Butler scored 35-plus points against the Bucks in a playoff game.

The Bucks are now 11-27 in playoff games when a player from the opposing team scores 35 or more points.

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.