The Miami Heat had plenty of opportunities to close the game and series. The Milwaukee Bucks lost their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second period. The Heat led by eight midway through the fourth. However, the Bucks kept fighting and pulled off the victory in overtime. Miami will have another shot of closing the series on Tuesday.
Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s loss to the Bucks.
Khris Middelton goes off
When Giannis went down, the Bucks relied heavily on their other all-star, Khris Middleton. After a quiet first quarter, Middleton came alive in the second half, particularly in the third period. Middleton was able to score just about anywhere on the floor. He dominated the third period with 21 points and knocked down clutch shots in overtime.
Middleton finished the night with 36 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
Bam aggressive
Bam Adebayo had a career playoff game on Sunday. He was arguably Miami’s best player on the floor. With Giannis down, Bam dominated the paint and also hit on a couple of mid-range jumpers. He shot an efficient 10 of 13 from the field. The Heat all-star also distributed the ball with eight assists.
Adebayo finished the night with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
Battle of the benches
Normally, NBA teams rely heavily on their starters in the playoffs. But, there are times where a bench performance can dictate whether a team wins or not. In Game Four, Milwaukee’s bench dominated the Heat”s bench. The Bucks’ bench outscored the Heat’s bench 32-17. Tyler Herro, who scored 11 points, was the only reserve who provided meaningful offensive contributions off the bench.
For the most part, Miami’s bench has been playing well throughout the postseason. They’ll need better bench production in Game 5.
Robinson bounces back
Duncan Robinson has been struggling from the field this series. Heading into Game Four, he was shooting six of 20 from the field. But it was only a matter of time before Robinson ended his cold streak. Robinson made it rain from beyond the arc, hitting six treys from downtown. Unfortunately, it was in a loss but it’s good to see the sharpshooter break out of his slump.
STROKINSON TAKING OVER!
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 6, 2020
20 Pts | 👌x6 pic.twitter.com/4EfietpWsh
Robinson finished with 20 points on 6 of 12 shooting from three, five rebounds, and three assists.
Next up: Game 5 is on Tuesday.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissheridan/2020/05/01/bam-adebayo-says-miami-heat-will-take-bucks-to-a-game-7/#244146ee7013
