Observations and different notes of curiosity from Wednesday night time’s 138-122 Miami Heat NBA playoff loss to the Milwaukee Bucks:
– This is what occurs whenever you characteristic a rotation of Lilliputians
– Eventually you get reduce all the way down to dimension.
– What was most humbling Wednesday night time was the Heat bought reduce all the way down to dimension with the Bucks taking part in with out the size of their main man.
– Which doesn’t bode properly when Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his return.
– If the Bucks even want him on this matchup.
– There was a purpose the Heat bought Dewayne Dedmon upfront of their sequence with the Bucks in 2021.
– A purpose they labored so extensively with Omer Yurtseven throughout October’s coaching camp.
– A purpose Cody Zeller was added in February earlier than the buyout deadline.
– But when you don’t play that top, it doesn’t matter.
– So the Bucks took it inside.
– Which opened the skin recreation.
– And then piled it on from there.
– Which begs the query . . .
– Better roster: The Heat’s complete roster or the Bucks’ roster with out Giannis?
– It now feels as if the Bucks lead the sequence 1-1.
– Even with the Heat, in idea, having stole homecourt benefit.
– This wasn’t only a victory for the Bucks.
– It was an announcement.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra went with Duncan Robinson because the substitute starter for sidelined Tyler Herro. with the opening lineup rounded out by Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
– That group had performed 11 minutes collectively this season previous to Wednesday.
– With the beginning, Butler tied Alonzo Mourning for sixth on the NBA all-time playoff checklist and tied Michael Finley and Rik Smits for 72nd on the NBA all-time playoff checklist, shifting him previous Marc Gasol.
– With the looks, Robinson tied Goran Dragic and Shaquille O’Neal for sixteenth on the Heat all-time playoff checklist.
– Spoelstra made clear the main target remained feeding Butler and Adebayo.
– “Everybody knows where the ball’s going,” Spoelstra mentioned. “We know it. They know it. Our players know it. But you do have to have different layers and there have to be X-factors. We have the kind of guys that can step up.”
– But to not the extent of the Bucks on this night time.
– With Wednesday the Heat’s first full recreation with Herro not obtainable this postseason, Adebayo mentioned it was only a case of extra of the identical.
– “Next man up, man,” he mentioned. “You know, it’s been like this this whole season, guys being out. If anything, it taught us that we can, we can still win games when guys go out.”
– Said Butler on the topic, “It’s a hurdle, but we’ll figure it out. We’ll get it going.”
– The subsequent man up was Robinson, and that wasn’t adequate.
– Spoelstra mentioned the Heat ready for the Bucks with or with out Antetokounmpo.
– “We played both scenarios the other night,” he mentioned of Antetokounmpo going out within the first half of Game 1. “This season, we’ve played them with both lineups. A lot of our prep, you have to be responsible and talk about what you’re doing with GA with the way he can break down your defense.”
– Spoelstra added, “The other minutes, they have guys that can put a lot of pressure on your defense and we saw that the other night with Middleton and Holiday.”
– As Milwaukee did.
– Spoelstra mentioned with or with out Antetokounmpo the main target has to stay on the Bucks’ 3-point recreation.
– “Regardless,” he mentioned, “they average over 40 threes a game. And if they can drive and kick and get to some of those earlier attacks, they can put a lot of points on the board.”
– Milwaukee then shot 21 of 21 from past the arc within the first half.
– Spoelstra mentioned the Heat entered the sequence ready for the Buck’ zone.
– “We’ve faced zone a decent amount this year,” he mentioned. “So I feel like it’s been something that we’ve had to go through every shootaround, just what our package is, what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
– He added, “In the playoffs, you have to be ready for anything. Every team is just trying to figure it out. The other team gets on a little bit of a roll, what can you do to make an adjustment?”
– The Heat had 55 factors within the first half.
– That wasn’t the problem.
– It was the Bucks had 81 within the first half.
– An benefit for each groups when it got here to minutes and fatigue is that it was the one recreation within the sequence over a five-day span.
– “We’re not where we were six weeks ago,” Spoelstra mentioned of measuring minutes. “This is by any means necessary.”
– That, Spoelstra mentioned, included taking the minutes regulator off Butler.
– “It’s all of us,” Spoelstra mentioned. “We’ve had these discussions and all the work that he’s put in all season long. But in particular, the plan for the last three months has prepared him for whatever is necessary in the playoffs.”
– Kyle Lowry entered because the Heat first reserve, after two early fouls on Robinson.
– Kevin Love and Caleb Martin then adopted collectively.
– With Victor Oladipo, who didn’t play in Game 1, making it 9 deep for the Heat, earlier than it bought uncontrolled.
– Butler’s first three pointer moved him previous former Heat guard Mario Chalmers,Sam Cassell and Kenny Smith for 79th on the NBA all-time playoff checklist.
– Butler’s third shot moved him previous Mario Chalmers for fourth on the Heat all-time playoff checklist.
– Butler tied Tim Duncan and Jerome Kersey for forty fourth on the all-time NBA playoff steals checklist earlier than trying out late within the third quarter.
– Strus’ first 3-pointer was the fiftieth of his playoff profession.
– Adebayo’s second defensive rebound was the 2 hundredth of his playoff profession.
– With his tenth level, Adebayo handed Dragic for ninth on the Heat’s all-time playoff checklist.
– Vincent’s second 3-pointer moved him previous Jason Williams for twenty fourth on the Heat all-time playoff checklist.
– Vincent’s third help moved him previous Anthony Carter for seventeenth on the Heat all-time playoff checklist.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com