Miami Heat Unable to Overcome Short-Handed Lineup Against Bucks

Without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat fall to Milwaukee Bucks
Miami Heat Unable to Overcome Short-Handed Lineup Against Bucks
Miami Heat Unable to Overcome Short-Handed Lineup Against Bucks /

Making excuses has never in the Miami Heat's vocabulary. 

Even though they were without two starters against the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday, they still felt they had a chance. In the end, it just wasn't enough. The Heat fell to the Bucks 124-102 in Milwaukee. They were minus forward Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo. The Bucks were also without forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“Regardless,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “the NBA doesn’t stop, our schedule doesn’t stop. We have enough.”

The Heat were playing on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Indiana Pacers the previous night. Max Strus led the Heat with a career-high 25 points but it just wasn't enough. 

“They just outplayed us from the start,” Strus said, “played harder, outrebounded us, beat us on all the hustle plays, 50-50 balls. They just wanted it more."

The Bucks, meanwhile, handled the adversity much better. Playing without one of the league's best players, they had contributions from the entire lineup. Pat Connaughton had a season-high 23 points and Khris Middleton added 22 points and guard Jrue Holiday 16. Center Bobby Portis also had 19 points and 16 rebounds. 

"It felt like we were just trying to catch up, and on our heels most of the game,” Spoelstra said. “As a team, we did not bring out best game, obviously.”

The Heat return to action Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here