Takeaways From Miami Heat's Victory Against Milwaukee Bucks In Game 1
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has always taken the advice of coach Erik Spoelstra: ignore the outside noise.
Despite the Heat being 9.5 underdogs, Butler didn't care. He scored a game-high 35 points to lead Miami to a 130-117 upset of the overall top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo for most of the game after he sustained a lower back injury, but the Heat set the tone early. Even after Miami lost starter Tyler Herro to a broken hand late in the first half, the Heat still kept the pressure on.
Here are the takeaways from the game:
-Antetokounmpo tried to his best to return, but it just wasn't in the cards. You could tell he was in pain the moment he fell hard in the first half. He returned but hardly looked like the two-time MVP. The Bucks are obviously thinking about the remainder of the series by sitting him, but allowing the Heat to steal homecourt surely makes things more difficult for Milwaukee.
-Kevin Love and Caleb Martin were arguably just as important as Butler. They took advantage of no Antetokounmpo and made key shots each time they were needed. You could see Love playing through back pain and Martin showing he deserves a spot in the rotation.
-Bam Adebayo has caught a lot of flack the second half of the season and struggled mightily in the first quarter. He bounced back in the last three quarters by just being Bam, a player who can impact games on both ends. He never flinched when things got rough and came up huge in the fourth quarter.
-Before Herro left with an injury that likely keeps him out the rest of the postseason, he was that dude. He scored at will until the injury just before halftime. The good news for the Heat is they have shooters behind him like Max Strus and the re-introduced Duncan Robinson who can create space and produce points.
-So much was made about the Miami Heat's 3-point struggles this season compared to a year ago. They made 15 of 25 from the arc for a season-high 60 percent. For at least one night, they made up for it. The Heat shot lights out but we've learned through the season that can change on any given night.
MORE HEAT-RELATED STORIES
Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn getting interest from Pistons. CLICK HERE
Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo among Kentucky players in playoffs. CLICK HERE
Jimmy Butler a finalist for Clutch Player of Year. CLICK HERE
Heat vs. Bucks playoff schedule. CLICK HERE
For a look at some of the latest Heat apparel. CLICK HERE
If you wanna bet on any games at @PrizePicks or PrizePicks.com, use our link and code. They will match your first bet for up to $100. Here's the code: PR-R1YOFY6
Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.
TWITTER: @ShandelRich
Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here
For any Heat or NBA questions, please email shandelrich@gmail.com
