Miami Heat has surprised the Milwaukee Bucks in the first game of the tie between the two (117-130). The best team in the regular season in the NBA has fallen on its court against the eighth team in the Eastern Conference, classified for the playoffs at the last moment in the playoffs. Led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, those from Miami played a great game, but the key factor was the injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo, the big star of the Bucks, who had to retire with a bruised back after a sudden fall on a entrance to basket
Antetokounmpo is by far the best player for Milwaukee. All the hopes of the Bucks go through him. With 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game and a 55.3% success rate in the regular season, his numbers have reminded those of Wilt Chamberlain. The best player in the 2019 and 2020 leagues, and still aspiring to be this one, retired after 11 minutes of the game. Although Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis took over in baskets and rebounds, it was not enough to come back against a very solid Heat that reminded more of last season than of this one.
The Greek player suffered the fall when there were just over four minutes left in the first quarter. It was in a basket entry in which they committed a foul on him. After hurting himself on the ground, he recovered, took the free throws and continued playing for a few minutes until he retired to the locker room. He returned for a moment in the second quarter, but after a minute and a half on the court he withdrew again. He had 6 points and 3 rebounds in 11 minutes of play.
The fact that he was able to continue playing after the fall, even if it was for a few minutes, suggests that the injury is not serious. The second game of the tie, which is played for the best of 7 games, will be played this Wednesday and it will be key for the Bucks to have him. Tyler Herro, from Miami, suffered a broken right hand before the break, apparently more serious, and that may weigh on his team in the remainder of the tie.
With Antetokounmpo absent, the best of the game was Jimmy Butler, who added 35 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds for the Miami team. Adebayo had 22 points and 9 rebounds, while Kevin Love had 18 points and 8 rebounds.
In this Sunday’s game, those from Florida came out much more plugged in. They achieved an advantage of up to 14 points in the first quarter, reduced to 9 at the end of it. They reached the break 13 points ahead. The second half of the game was balanced and the advantage was maintained until the end.
The defeat of those from Milwaukee is the biggest surprise of the first games of the first round of the playoffs. Sacramento Kings has defeated the champions, the Golden State Warriors, but they had already had a terrible season away from home. The Lakers, for their part, have surprised the Memphis Grizzlies, although the Los Angeles team had already been showing signs that they are in better shape than their position in the regular season standings shows.
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