Heading into the first-round series between the 1-seed Milwaukee Bucks and the 8-seed Miami Heat, most expected a straightforward contest. While the Heat have earned their reputation as a difficult playoff opponent in recent years, the fact was that they didn’t seem as formidable this time around. Miami needed every bit of a strong final stretch to make it into the first play-in game, then suffered an uninspiring loss to the Hawks. From there, they had to beat the Bulls just to cling to an 8-seed. The Bucks, by contrast, have looked the part of a dominant top team. They rattled off 16 straight wins from late January through early March, and from there closed the season 13-5 before taking their foot off the gas for the final two games.
Given all this, it’s no surprise that the Bucks entered as a heavy series favorite, both with oddsmakers and general NBA prognosticators. Indeed, when ESPN posted its annual rundown of “expert picks” for the playoffs, 18 of them had the Bucks advancing; 0 picked the Heat. In Sunday’s Game 1 however, a hot start by Miami and multiple significant injuries flipped the script in a hurry.
Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Miami’s Tyler Herro traded baskets to start the game, after which point the teams spent a few minutes feeling one another out. After a jumper from the Bucks’ Khris Middleton made it an 11-9 game in favor of Miami however, the Heat went on a bit of a run. Jimmy Butler led the charge and was aided by some sharpshooting from Caleb Martin, as Miami jumped out to a 26-13 lead. What happened in the midst of this run was more significant than the score, however. Attacking the basket just before the four-minute mark, Antetokounmpo collided with Kevin Love and fell hard onto his tailbone. He stayed in the game in the moment, but was subbed out shortly thereafter. The quarter wrapped up with Miami leading 33-24, and questions surfacing over whether Antetokounmpo had sustained a real injury.
For most of the second quarter, the teams swapped buckets and small runs. Milwaukee drew to within 1 on a Jrue Holiday jumper five minutes into the quarter; Miami then rattled off a 7-0 run to jump back up 8. Word gradually surfaced that Antetokounmpo was unlikely to return to action, and suddenly it seemed as if the Heat had a very good chance to “steal” Game 1. Late in the second quarter however, Miami had its own brush with bad injury luck: Tyler Herro jammed up his hand diving for a loose ball, and though he managed to knock down a three moments later, he ultimately exited the game in pain. The Heat went into the break leading 68-55 in what had become a confused and unfortunate opening game.
As it became clear that Herro, like Antetokounmpo, was out for the game (with what we’ve since learned is a fracture in his hand), the third quarter played out as a back-and-forth affair with role players on both sides making contributions. The Bucks got strong minutes out of Bobby Portis and Joe Ingles; for the Heat, Caleb Martin and Kevin Love made big plays to help maintain the lead. After 12 tense but free-flowing minutes, Miami led 102-88 with a quarter to play.
Khris Middleton came out firing for Milwaukee and brought the Bucks back within 9 with a smooth jumper with 7:42 to play. From there however, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo stepped up to stop the minor bleeding. The minutes ticked by quickly, and a Caleb Martin three-pointer with 2:40 to go put the Heat back up by 11 and all but sealed the deal. Miami came out on top by a score of 130 to 117. As he so often is in crucial playoff situations, Butler was the star of the game, finishing with 35 points and 11 assists.
What comes next is anyone’s guess. The Heat have made it a series by stealing Game 1 on the road, and it’s unclear if or when Antetokounmpo will return to action. With Tyler Herro out for the series as well however, this one is looking like a war of attrition.
