Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks sweep Miami Heat to reach Eastern Conference semifinals

Seven months after struggling a devastating defeat within the 2023 convention semifinals to the Miami Warmth as a No. 1 seed, the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday avenged that loss with a 120-103 win, clinching their first-round collection over the Warmth in a sweep.

“It’s an awesome second for us, profitable 4-0, and beating the staff that beat us final yr,” Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo mentioned. “However on the finish of the day we now have a protracted strategy to go.”

Although his efficiency wasn’t notably environment friendly by the primary three quarters, Antetokounmpo tied a profession excessive — and set a brand new private playoff greatest — with 15 assists. He discovered teammates by threading the needle from the perimeter and with skillful inside passes within the paint.

“With the ability to have an effect on the sport in a number of methods, and never simply stepping into the paint and dunking,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “Don’t get me fallacious. If I may dunk each single play, I’d attempt to dunk each single play. However simply being mature, having my head up and searching for guys after they’re open was large for us.”

After trailing for all the first half, Milwaukee put collectively a 24-4 run within the third quarter to erase a nine-point deficit and construct a double-digit lead. Ahead Khris Middleton, who hit the tiebreaking basket with lower than a second left in Recreation 1, led the cost with 12 factors, together with a pair of 3-pointers. Bryn Forbes, whose sharpshooting exploits fueled the Bucks’ blowout victory in Recreation 3, added a few his personal within the quarter, and completed 7-for-14 from distance general.

4 Bucks gamers completed with 20 or extra factors — together with Middleton and Forbes — with heart Brook Lopez main the way in which with 25, on 11-for-15 capturing. Although Lopez has prolonged his vary in Milwaukee and sometimes spends many possessions out on the perimeter, he didn’t try a single shot from past the arc on Saturday. As a substitute, he exacted his injury inside in opposition to a Miami protection that had no reply for Milwaukee’s inside sport all through the collection. Lopez completed 9-for-9 from the sphere within 10 toes in Recreation 4.

The Bucks distinguished themselves defensively within the collection, and once more within the second half within the clincher on Saturday. Miami managed solely a 95.4 offensive ranking over the 4 video games, the bottom complete for a playoff staff in six postseasons.

Antetokounmpo accepted the task of defending the Warmth’s most prolific offensive participant, Warmth wingman Jimmy Butler. Although he matched Antetokounmpo’s triple-double in Recreation 4, Butler shot solely 4-for-15 from the sphere and posted an abysmal true capturing proportion (39.4) for the collection.

“Giannis has distinctive defensive expertise, and Butler is such an awesome expertise, scorer, passer,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer mentioned. “It takes a number of self-discipline to protect a man like Jimmy Butler. For Giannis to have that self-discipline with the competitiveness makes him particular.”

Along with Antetokounmpo’s work on Butler, Lopez served as an indomitable presence within the paint for Milwaukee defensively. He contested 76 photographs within the collection, and Miami shot simply 32% on these makes an attempt, based on ESPN Stats & Data analysis.

Milwaukee’s dominance on the glass was one other decisive think about its sweep of the Warmth. The Bucks collected greater than a 3rd of their missed shot makes an attempt — their 33.6% offensive rebounding fee throughout the collection would have led the NBA throughout the common season by a substantial margin. Likewise, their 78.8% defensive rebounding fee in opposition to Miami would have additionally led the league throughout the common season.

“Whenever you look again on this collection, we positively managed the boards, which was an enormous a part of getting out in transition and giving us second-chance factors,” Middleton mentioned. “All people had a component controlling the boards for us. We had been in a position to restrict them to 1 shot.”

The sweep concluded the Warmth’s season, which included 20 missed video games for Butler as Miami earned the No. 6 seed within the East.

The Warmth enter the offseason with wage cap flexibility, which is able to allow them to bolster the roster in the event that they so select. Solely Butler, Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Treasured Achiuwa and KZ Okpala carry assured contracts into the 2023-22 season.

“We will be higher,” Butler mentioned. “We’ll get higher.”

Milwaukee will now have not less than a full week off earlier than it meets both the Brooklyn Nets or Boston Celtics in a convention semifinal. The Bucks will enter with a substantial amount of momentum.

“Peaking on the proper second — we actually really feel we’re doing that,” Lopez mentioned. “And we nonetheless really feel like we’re getting higher every single night time.”