Takeaways From Miami Heat's Loss Against Milwaukee Bucks In Game 2

Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks put on a scoring display to even the series

Hours before tipoff, it was announced Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was sidelined due to a back injury. Because the Miami Heat were 2-0 this season against the Bucks without him, they were favorites to win the game even without sharpshooter Tyler Herro.

But it didn’t pan out that way. The Bucks, who were not favored to win the championship for the first time since March 15, evened the series at 1-1.

Here are some major takeaways from the game:

-With Herro sidelined due to a right hand fracture, the Heat were short on shooters. So they decided to replace him with Duncan Robinson, who had a decent game but he wasn’t Herro. Herro was the Heat’s third-leading scorer during the season and 3-point leader.

-Because Antetokounmpo was out, the Bucks needed someone with size and who could impact the game. That someone was Bobby Portis, who lived up to it. His impact was felt on the glass, particularly the defensive ones. He also got some points on the board, too.

-The Bucks quickly took advantage of Herro’s absence. Due to poor defense by the Heat, they ended the first half with 81 points, a new playoff franchise record in a first half. And of course, they were the most the Heat franchise allowed in any half in the playoffs.

-The scoring flow didn’t stop for the Bucks. After a small run by the Heat at the start of the third quarter, the Bucks continued to rack up points, led by Grayson Allen’s 3-point shooting. Brook Lopez helped out, too, forcing himself into the paint for easy buckets.

-The Heat’s strategy for the series was to hit 3-pointers and limit the Bucks’. But this game was different. The Heat shot well from the 3-point line but the defense wasn’t on the same level. The Bucks took advantage of it, recording 25 3-pointers, tying the NBA playoff record.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.