untitled-design-2020-09-04t183802-685.jpg
USATSI

Through two games, this first-round series has been going the Milwaukee Bucks' way. It took overtime in Game 1, but Milwaukee was ultimately able to pull out a 109-107 victory. Then, it blew the doors off the Heat in Game 2 -- beginning with a 46-point first quarter -- and pulled out an impressive 132-98 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been very solid in the series so far, averaging 28.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.0 steals per performance. 

Antetokounmpo has also had a fair share of help from Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and the rest of Milwaukee's supporting cast. In Game 2, the Bucks connected on 22 3s as a team, while the Heat hit only eight. Moving forward, the Heat will have to find a way to get both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo going on the offensive end if they want to climb back into the series, as both players really struggled to score over the first two games. With that said, here's everything you need to know about Game 3 between Milwaukee and Miami. 

(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Miami Heat

  • Date: Thursday, May 27 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: American Airlines Arena -- Miami, Florida  
  • TV: TNT| Live stream: TNT
  • Odds: MIA +100; MIL -120 | O/U: 226.5 (via William Hill Sportsbook)  

Storylines

Bucks: Milwaukee's major move last offseason was adding Jrue Holiday, who's been excellent for them against the Heat. He has taken some of the scoring and playmaking responsibility off the shoulders of Antetokounmpo and Middleton while providing the Bucks with dominant defense on the other end. In Game 1, Holiday dropped 20 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor and also grabbed 11 rebounds. In the second game his playmaking ability was on full display as he tallied 15 assists along with 11 points and seven rebounds. There's still a long way to go for the Bucks, but Holiday has provided them with the exact type of production on both ends that they hoped for when they signed him. 

Heat: So far, the Heat have been carried by role players in this series. In Game 2, it was Goran Dragic and Dewayne Dedmon that came in and combined for 37 points off the bench, and in Game 1 it was the hot shooting of Duncan Robinson combined with Dragic's point production off the bench that kept Miami in the game. Moving forward, the main thing the Heat need to do is to get their two stars -- Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo -- going on the offensive end. Over the first two games, Butler totaled 27 points on 8 of 32 shooting from the floor, while Adebayo scored 25 total points on 9 of 26 shooting from the floor. That's simply not going to get the job done against a team as talented, and potent, as Milwaukee. Both of these players need to find ways to be better, or the series is going to be over quickly. 

Prediction

The Heat have to hope that they get a big boost from their home crowd in Games 3 and 4, because they haven't provided too much reason for optimism in the series otherwise. The Bucks have been the better team on both ends as they appear extremely eager to make up for the fact that Miami bounced them from the bubble last season. Miami still has time to turn things around, but that will have to start with Butler and Adebayo, and so far they haven't appeared to be up to the task.  Pick: Bucks -1