The Milwaukee Bucks survive! Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 65 points and 14 assists to defeat the Miami Heat 131-124 and advance to the Quarterfinals of the 1st ever In-Season Tournament.
Miami played without their star player, Jimmy Butler, who was ruled out due to an ankle injury. This put the Heat at a massive disadvantage to start the game, considering their leading scorer, Tyler Herro has been out with a Grade-2 ankle sprain since early November.
Miami may have been missing 2 of their top 3 scorers, but this game was back and forth from start to finish. The first half was a battle that ended with the Heat up 62-59. Bam Adebayo added an extra spark for Miami with Butler and Herro on the sideline, putting up 15 points in the first half. Adebayo ended the contest with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Heats Up in the Third
It was all Giannis Antetokounmpo for Milwaukee out of the half, dropping 14 points in the quarter, which kept the Bucks in the game heading into the fourth quarter down five. Antetokounmpo ended the game with 33 points and 10 rebounds on an efficient 11-16 from the field. Making this his fourth 30-plus-point game in the last 5 contests.
The Rookie Shows His Range Hitting Back-to-Back Threes in the Fourth
Pat Connaughton was forced out of the contest due to a right ankle sprain. He finished with 7 points on 3-5 from the field in 15 minutes of action. Because Connaughton was forced out, rookie first-round draft pick and NCAA National Champion Andre Jackson Jr. was given extra minutes in the fourth quarter. He made the most of his opportunity, hitting back-to-back three-pointers, which gave Milwaukee the boost they needed on offense.
Miami wasn’t going down without a fight, but every time they hit a big shot down the stretch, it seemed like Damian Lillard had an answer for every single one. Lillard ended with 32 points and 9 assists, shooting 4-9 from behind the arc. This is his third straight 30-plus point performance.
Khris Middleton Saves the Day for Milwaukee Bucks
WHAT A SHOT KHRIS MIDDLETON 🗣️
🏆 MIL TO WIN GROUP: win OR win tiebreaker over NYK and MIA
🏀 NBA In-Season Tournament on TNT pic.twitter.com/Naa0Q0qkxq— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2023
Antetokounmpo and Lillard may have combined for 65 points and 14 assists, but the unsung hero for the Bucks tonight was Khris Middleton. Coming off of an Achilles injury, he had 17 points and 8 rebounds in 23 minutes of action. He also hit the 2 biggest shots of the game, sealing the victory for Milwaukee. In addition to sealing the game, the Bucks were +20 with Middleton on the floor, which is the highest of any player in the contest.
When asked about his mentality during the final minutes of the game, Middleton simply said, “Gotta do something.” Khris has never been a man of many words, but it is clear the Bucks are more comfortable when he is out there having an impact on the game.
The Bucks will join the Knicks, Celtics, and Pacers in the Quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament as the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
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