Jimmy Butler had 35 points and 11 assists and the visiting Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks — who played most of the game without Giannis Antetokounmpo — 130-117 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series yesterday.
Bam Adebayo scored 22 points for the eighth-seeded Heat, who were playing less than 48 hours after qualifying by beating Chicago in a play-in elimination game. Kevin Love had 18, Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent added 15 apiece and Tyler Herro scored 12 before being sidelined for good in the second quarter because of a broken right hand.
Antetokounmpo suffered a lower back contusion when he fell to the floor in the first quarter. He stayed in the game for a bit before going to the locker room and returned briefly early in the second quarter before leaving the game for good. He finished with six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes.
The top-seeded Bucks clearly missed his scoring, but the Heat already had set the tone before he was sidelined.
Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 33 points, Bobby Portis Jr. had 21 points, Jrue Holiday added 16 points and 16 assists, Grayson Allen scored 12 and Brook Lopez had 10.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Milwaukee.
The Bucks trailed by 13 at halftime but used an 11-0 run to get within 78-75 midway through the third quarter.
Adebayo and Martin both converted three-point plays, Love made two 3-pointers and Duncan Robinson added a late trey to help Miami score 24 points in the final 4:49 to open a 102-88 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Milwaukee closed within eight points five times in the fourth quarter but didn’t get any closer.
Butler scored 14 points as Miami took a 33-24 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Middleton scored 10 points, Portis added six and the Bucks closed within 43-42. The Heat scored the next seven points and opened a 55-44 lead on a 3-pointer by Love.
Butler and Vincent each scored four more points as Miami increased the lead to 68-55 at halftime.
In the final minute of the first half, Herro dove for a loose ball but did not beat his opponent to it. Herro hit his hand on the court while sliding past the spot of the ball. Though in visible pain, he stayed in the game and attempted a shot before subbing out. The Heat later announced he had broken his hand.
—Field Level Media
