MILWAUKEE — This is what happens when you are a No. 1 seed playing a No. 8 seed:
You don’t need your superstar to win.
So no Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, no problem in their 138-122 victory over the Miami Heat at Fiserv Forum, the most points ever in a playoff game against the Heat.
And with that, a 1–1 tie in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference opening-round series that now shifts to the Kaseya Center for the next two.
In a dominant exhibition of their superior depth of talent, the Bucks pushed to a 32-point first-half lead and made it easy for Antetokounmpo to rest easier with his lower-back contusion.
For the Heat, there were 25 points from Jimmy Butler and 18 from Bam Adebayo, with both sitting out the fourth quarter. But with starting shooting guard Tyler Herro sidelined with the broken hand sustained in Game 1, there simply was not enough competitive depth.
The perspective at the outset said all that arguably needed to be said about pedigree, with the Heat starting three undrafted players and the Bucks starting for former first-round picks.
And, with that, the Bucks easily stole off into the wintry night, getting 25 points from Brook Lopez, 24 from Jrue Holiday, and 22 from Pat Connaughton, in a game they shot 25 of X49 on 3-pointers.
Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday’s game:
1. Over early: Utilizing their height advantage from the outset, the Bucks moved to a 35-28 lead at the end of the first period.
From there, as they began to load up on 3-pointers, the Bucks moved to a 32-point lead in the second quarter on the way to a 81-55 halftime lead.
The 81 points were the most ever in any playoff half against the Heat and the most in a playoff first half for the Bucks.
Milwaukee then moved to a 118-85 lead entering the fourth.
2. Sized up: It was as if it required a Bucks epiphany for them to recognize that they had a 7-foot-1 center being guarded by a 6-foot-5 guard at the outset for the second consecutive game.
This time Lopez more than measured up, with 14 first-quarter points on 7-of-9 shooting, taking early advantage in his initial matchup against Max Strus.
Lopez was up to 19 points at the intermission.
Bobby Portis, who started in place of Antetokounmpo, also set a physical early tone, with nine first-half rebounds on the way to a 13-point, 15-rebound double-double. No Heat starter had more than five for the game.
3. Plan B: With Herro sidelined by the broken right hand sustained during the first half of Sunday’s victory, the Heat opened with Duncan Robinson in his place, with the opening lineup rounded out by Adebayo, Butler, Strus and Gabe Vincent.
It was the first start this season for that quintet.
Robinson had started Sunday’s second half in place of Herro.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it was not a case of seeking a specific player to replace Herro’s scoring in the rotation.
“I mean, we’re past that,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of different rotations and we’ve had to define roles with different guys out several times this year. Right now it’s just about winning and doing whatever we have to contribute to be efficient.”
4. Oladipo sighting: After Robinson struggled in his initial stint, with a pair of fouls, forced out 6:19 into the game, Victor Oladipo entered late in the first period for the Heat, after being held out of Game 1.
Oladipo was aggressive in his return, with seven first-half points on 3-of-6 shooting and very well could have Spoelstra thinking about a third different starting shooting guard in as many games this series.
Robinson nonetheless returned to start Wednesday’s second half failing to score until benches were emptied in the fourth quarter.
Oladipo closed with 15 points, with Robinson coming around with 14.
5. What’s next: Game 3 is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. the Kaseya Center, with Game 4 on Monday at either 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. also on the Heat’s home court, before returning to Milwaukee next Wednesday for Game 5.
