MIAMI – The postseason hopes for the Milwaukee Bucks were dimmed even further following a 112-105 loss to the Miami Heat on March 12 at the Kaseya Center.
The Heat, which sat out all-stars Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, jumped out to a 20-8 lead in the opening six minutes of play and the Bucks were on the chase from then.
They did battle back from a 14-point first quarter to tie the game late in the second quarter, but a 15-point early third quarter deficit proved just a bit too much to overcome. Milwaukee got to within 96-94 with 6 minutes, 51 seconds left and 103-101 with 2:26 to go but couldn’t even up the scoreboard again. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. turnovers stifled potential game-tying attempts at those junctures.
BOX SCORE: Heat 112, Bucks 105
Then the Bucks trailed 108-105 with just under a minute left, but Giannis Antetokounmpo pulled up for a 3-pointer early in the shot clock and missed. The Heat came down and set up an open look for Pelle Larsson, who knocked down his own 3-point attempt to clinch the game.
“I was coming down, I saw Bam in front of me,” Antetokounmpo recalled of what he saw in front of him in the half court leading up to his shot. “Maybe there was a guy on his left. Maybe Ryan was in front of me, maybe (Porter), I don’t remember, and then I felt like they were backing up, backing up and I could get my feet set for a three. And I shot it. I don’t, any shot that I take, I don’t regret it.”
Milwaukee lost its third in a row and for the seventh time in its last eight games.
“We didn’t execute great down the stretch, bottom line,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said. “I loved how we played overall. We went with the jumbo line up and it gave us a great; it got us back in the game. But man, we had two or three turnovers in that stretch, a couple tough shots. We’ve been really good overall at the end of the game. I just thought tonight we didn’t execute down the stretch.”
The Bucks haven’t won on the road since Feb. 20 in New Orleans.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 31 points in 29 minutes, shooting 12 of 24 from the floor, including 0-for-2 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down six rebounds and had three assists. Ryan Rollins had 16 points and 10 assists off the bench for the Bucks while Bobby Portis Jr. added 19 in reserve.
The Heat, which won its seventh game in a row, was led by Larsson, who scored a career high 28 points. Bam Adebayo, playing his first game since scoring 83 points on March 10, had 21 points. Kasparas Jakučionis added 18.
Ousmane Dieng doesn’t finish game with illness
Starter Ousmane Dieng could not return to the game after playing 4 third quarter minutes with an illness. Dieng logged 14 minutes and was just 0-for-2 from the floor and had two fouls. Though he started, Dieng didn’t look like his usual self as he had averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22 minutes while shooting 38% from behind the 3-point line in 14 games with Milwaukee.
The game was the first time since the opening night of the season the Bucks began with all 15 players with guaranteed roster spots healthy and available to play, and head coach Doc Rivers played 11.
Andre Jackson Jr. was inactive, however, in favor of two-way player Pete Nance.
Kevin Porter returns from knee swelling
Porter played for the first time since March 2, after missing four games with swelling in his surgically repaired right knee. The swelling was officially described as synovitis, which the Cleveland Clinic defines as “inflammation of the synovial membrane lining joints.”
Porter said his knee really swelled up after playing five games in seven days, but thinks going forward it can be managed.
It was just another odd injury for the 25-year-old Porter, who suffered what he called an abnormal oblique strain that sidelined him for six games from Jan. 21-Feb. 3. He also missed 14 games from Nov. 3-29 after damaging the meniscus in that right knee during a workout as he tried to return from an ankle sprain that knocked him out for five games from Oct. 24-Nov. 1.
“It feels good (to be playing),” Porter said. “From the start my whole thing has been be ready, or try to be available every night and that’s been the story of my year individually. I’m still a little bummed but I’m just glad I was able to feel good enough to go out there with my guys today.”
In about 28 minutes, Porter flashed the tools that made him an interesting complement to Antetokounmpo as he deftly knocked down a long rebound, flipped the ball behind his back to regain control of the dribble and then seamlessly fed a cutting Antetokounmpo for a dunk. On another play he created a steal by deflecting a Miami pass off the backboard, got it back and tossed a long lob to the two-time MVP.
In all, Porter had five assists, seven rebounds, six points on 3 of 8 shooting, three steals and three turnovers. The turnovers were untimely, however, as two came in the opening minutes of the second half that helped the Heat to a 7-1 run, and the third came dribbling into a packed paint as the Bucks were trying to tie the game with 1:55 to go. That led to two Heat points on the other end.
“I felt good tonight,” Porter said. “I felt like I was a little too passive. I should’ve been more aggressive, finding my shots with my drives because ultimately that’s what I do best on this team and it helps us. So, I was a little too passive. I think I was favoring it a little bit tonight but it’s good to get this game, so now next game I’ll be ready.”
Did you notice?
For one possession coming out of a Miami timeout with 6 minutes, 54 seconds to go in the first half, the Bucks had guards Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins and Cam Thomas on the floor with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyle Kuzma. Porter and Kuzma started the set off the inbound and Doc Rivers yelled for Antetokounmpo to screen for Cam Thomas. After the pick, Antetokounmpo rolled to Thomas’ left and Rollins was all alone on the corner to his right, and Thomas put up a contested jumper and was fouled by Jaime Jaquez Jr. That was it for that group, as Myles Turner checked in for Rollins.
“I’d like to see ’em score,” Rivers said. “Honestly. They haven’t played enough. Let ’em play. We’ll just watch and see. I’m not giving any judgment to the way they play, yet. I think Giannis has probably logged in 10 minutes with Cam. So, it’s just too early. Clearly with them two together you want to create offense.”
The three guards then played a couple of possessions with Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. after Antetokounmpo checked in with 4:59 to go and the Bucks trailing 99-94. Jericho Sims replaced Thomas at the 4:24 mark with the Bucks trailing 101-94.
Rollins said the trio of guards has worked on some actions in shootarounds and practices, and he laid out what he thought that group could look like together: “I think just continuously moving the ball and just kind of like find angles and guard guard screens and when Giannis have it, if he on the court with us, kind of some DHOs (dribble handoffs) so we can get downhill and he can get downhill with us and we might have the pocket (pass) or over-the-top or they’ve got to play two between whoever has the ball and Giannis. So yeah, just playing off each other a little bit better.”
5 numbers
0.4: Percent chance the Bucks could make the play-in tournament heading into the game, per ESPN analytics.
13.9: Percent chance the Bucks could win a top-four pick in the NBA draft lottery heading into the game, per the lottery-tracking web site www.tankathon.com.
2:43: Minutes left in the first quarter when Doc Rivers used his only challenge, which was to dispute a charge call on Kyle Kuzma in the open court. Kuzma barreled over Kasparas Jakučionis in front of the Bucks bench, which is perhaps why Rivers challenged. But, the call was upheld, giving Kuzma two fouls in the quarter and Rivers without another chance to challenge.
6: Games Pete Nance has left to play for the Bucks, due to the rules of his two-way contract. The Bucks have 18 games left. Nance played his 33rd game vs. Miami. He has not played in 11 games he was active for. (He has been inactive for 21 games.)
Should the Bucks wish to have Nance play more games, or any postseason games should they make it that far, they would have to waive a current player off the 15-person roster and sign Nance to a standard contract.
25: Different starting lineups the Bucks have rolled out. Kevin Porter’s addition was new to the group of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma, Ousmane Dieng and Myles Turner.
Bam Adebayo scores 21 vs. Bucks after 83-point night
The Bucks’ locker room was quiet after another disappointing loss on March 10, but like most places around the league, news of Miami center Bam Adebayo’s 83-point effort against Washington that night had already filtered through by the time players met with the media. It is the second most points scored in an NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 in 1962.
“Sick,” Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma said after that game. “I’m just happy for him. That’s insane. Honestly. I don’t think; that was on nobody’s bingo card to have Bam score that many points. But I’m so happy for him. That’s amazing. Amazing accomplishment. Anytime you could say you’re over Kobe on something is crazy.”
Kobe Bryant set the “modern” scoring record with 81 in 2006.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers opened his postgame presser asking, “Is it true a human being had 83 points tonight?
“Bam had 83 points? Wow. That’s unbelievable.”
Rivers smiled.
“Well, that’s who we play next so at least I get to watch the prep tape. It’ll be interesting. Wow. Eighty-three points. That’s amazing.”
The Bucks are the first team to play the Heat after Adebayo played 42 minutes against the tanking Wizards, against whom he set NBA records for free throws made (36), free throws attempted (43). He also put up 22 3-point attempts (tied for third all-time).
Giannis Antetokounmpo noted that in the future, few will recall the exact details of the accomplishment, just the number.
“I don’t remember how many shots Kobe shot or how many free throws he made or how many threes,” said the Bucks star, who holds the single-game franchise record with 64 points scored vs. Indiana in 2023.
“All you remember is 81. Wilt, 100. You don’t remember that (detail). At the end of the day he got 83 points and obviously – did they win?”
He was told the Heat did.
“Good,” Antetokounmpo continued. “Great way to help your team win a game. I know that his family, his close friends are extremely excited and happy for him and again it speaks volumes in his hard work. I know Bam. He works his butt off every single day. He never cheats the game and seeing a guy like him doing something like this is incredible.”
When pointed out the Bucks get Adebayo next Antetokounmpo quipped, “We’ll do our best for him to score 82, not 83.”
Once the game began – with Antetokounmpo defending Adebayo and various Bucks teammates flashing double teams – it was clear Milwaukee wasn’t going to let the Miami big man go off again.
Adebayo scored 20 points on 6 of 20 shooting in 35 minutes, including an 0-for-5 mark from behind the 3-point line. He also was not fouled in the act of shooting until 4:59 remained in the game, but wound up going 9-for-13 from the line to help his team seal the game late.
He was 9 of 12 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes.
The Bucks star is not on the injury report after logging about 32 minutes in a loss to Phoenix on March 10. It appeared he turned an ankle early in the game and then late in the game, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said the star was hit in the groin area but did not reinjure any muscles. Antetokounmpo missed time earlier this season with a left adductor strain and two calf strains.
Despite not overtly pulling any muscles, Antetokounmpo looked winded and not very explosive as the game wore on. He scored 22 points on 10 of 18 shooting and only had six rebounds and three assists.
What is the Bucks record with Giannis?
16-18
Milwaukee Bucks injury report
Bucks probable starting lineup
NBA playoff standings
The Bucks are currently out of the postseason picture entirely. Here are the play-in standings in the Eastern Conference heading into game play on March 12:
No. 7: Toronto (36-29): The Bucks lost the season series 3-1 to the Raptors.
No. 8: Philadelphia (35-30): The 76ers have won the season series over the Bucks, winning the first three games. The Bucks head to Philadelphia to end the season on April 12.
No. 9: Atlanta (34-31): The Bucks and Hawks have split the season series 1-1. Milwaukee travels to Atlanta on March 14.
No. 10: Charlotte (34-33): The Bucks own the tiebreaker over the Hornets having won the season series 3-1.
No. 11: Milwaukee (27-37): The Bucks have had better luck against the play-in teams to date, as they are just 5-14 against the top six seeds in the conference.
What time is the Bucks game?
Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
The game will be simulcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and WMLW The M with Lisa Byington, Wesley Matthews and Stephen Watson on the call.
Bucks vs. Heat odds
Miami is a 6.5-point favorite over Milwaukee, with the over/under set at 234.5 points per BetMGM.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks come up short in clutch in 112-105 loss to Heat
Reporting by Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
