Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat Preview
There hasn’t been a team in the NBA history that managed to get back from 0-3 in the playoffs and win the series. We are more than positive that almost all of Milwaukee’s fans dream about that scenario in this case. Still, apart from having Miami across the court, Giannis’ ankle injury is another problem for the Bucks.
Waiting for Giannis
The Greek Freak wanted to come back in Game 4 and help his teammates, even though he had a massive hematoma on his ankle. Bucks’ medical staff stated that they didn’t allow the still-reigning MVP to play, as he barely walked, regardless of his enormous wish.
It seems that Giannis knows that he underachieved in this series and that many believe his poor performances are the main cause for Milwaukee’s deficit.
Once he left the last game, Khris Middleton stepped in, dropping 36 points and delivering a win for his team. KM had a few clutch baskets at the finish of the game that decided the outcome. Practically, he alone would carry the entire team on his back on the offensive side of the ball, while on the other side, Eric Bledsoe and George Hill played good defense.
Miami’s Attacking Diversity
The Heat’s main weapon is not a Jimmy Butler, but the fact that they have at least seven players able to score 20 points. Dragic, Robinson, Adebayo, Crowder, Herro, Nunn, all these guys can burst and break the rival’s defense in no time.
Robinson, Herro, and Crowder are excellent three-point shooters, especially the first two. When they enter the zone, and start splashing from all over the field, the defense has to stretch, leaving enough room for Butler or Dragic to penetrate. On the other side, when Jimmy gets low on the post, he needs to be double-teamed, and that is when these shooters step in.
All in all, Erik Spoelstra once again has a good team at disposal, and it wouldn’t be odd to see them going all the way. There we said it.
Head to Head Games
The last one saw overtime, and Milwaukee’s win 118-115. It was only the second win this season for the Bucks against the Heat. Meanwhile, Miami has five, and in just one they scored fewer than 115 points, which means that they know how to handle Bucks’ defense, including Giannis who is the best defender in the league this year.
Prediction
A lot of things will depend on Giannis’ health. If he plays, Milwaukee will be a completely different team. After all, he is the best player in the league and the biggest candidate for snaping another NBA MVP award.
On the other hand, even if he plays, his Bucks won’t be favorites to win, due to Miami’s excellent performance over a recent couple of matches. Odds on them to win Game 5 are -125, and we strongly suggest using the same.
They were probably shocked too because of Giannis’ injury, and they didn’t adjust to the new circumstances on the floor, but be sure that Spoelstra prepared his boys better for this contest.
