6:35 pm
September 4

Bucks v. Heat

Who will WIN this matchup?

Milwaukee Bucks (56-17)

Miami Heat (44-29)

 

Current odds:

Milwaukee Bucks: (-205)

Miami Heat: (+175)

 

• The line for this game is Bucks by 5 points.

• The Milwaukee Bucks, who finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA at 56-17, are in danger of getting bounced out of the playoffs during the Eastern Conference semifinals. Milwaukee trails the Miami Heat 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, which resumes on Friday night in the bubble near Orlando.

• Miami, which finished 44-29 in the regular season — good for fifth in the Eastern Conference and 12 games behind Milwaukee — is 6-0 in this year’s playoffs. The Heat eliminated the Indiana Pacers in four games, and now they have the Bucks in a hole after Wednesday’s controversial 116-114 victory, which was won on Jimmy Butler’s two free throws with no time left on the clock. Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was called for the foul on Butler, which happened after the shot had been released.

• Going forward, the Heat could be without forward Andre Iguodala, who sprained his right ankle on Wednesday when he came down on the foot of Milwaukee’s Kyle Korver.

• Heat point guard Goran Dragic, meanwhile, has been hot, scoring at least 20 points in all six playoff games. The Bucks are wary of Dragic, who spent much of this season as Miami’s key off-the-bench performer. Now, he is starting and producing even more.

• Part of that preparation will be figuring out a way to shoot better from 3-point range. The Bucks shot 28 percent (7 of 25) in Game 2. Miami shot 37.8 percent from behind the arc (17 of 45). In addition, Milwaukee’s mid-range shots were not falling with customary frequency, the Bucks bench was outscored 36-26, and they struggled with turnovers.

• As for individuals, in two games in this series, the numbers are pretty even when comparing each team’s two big stars. For Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo is averaging 23.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Teammate Khris Middleton is averaging 25.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists. For Miami, Butler is averaging 26.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Dragic is averaging 25.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

6/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Milwaukee Bucks
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