MILWAUKEE — Although two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo played just six minutes before leaving with a knee injury, the Heat started the crucial second half of the season with a dud.
The Heat (32-28), sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference stuck with the Bucks (42-17) early in the first half, but the conference’s No. 2 team pulled ahead even without their star player, ultimately rolling to a 128-99 win over Miami at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Friday night. The Bucks have won 13 straight games.
Although the Heat traded leads with the Bucks through the first half of the first quarter, Milwaukee put its foot on the pedal by the end of the first period, opening up a 10-point lead after the first 12 minutes. The Bucks steadily built on that lead and had the game in hand by the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, Milwaukee’s lead ballooned to as much as 35 points.
