The Miami Heat didn’t want to be the ones to come back from a deficit again and went at the Milwaukee Bucks right from the start in Game 2. They fire out to a 38-29 lead at the end of the first quarter, and they did it by spreading the ball.
Khris Middleton got his third foul less than a minute into the second quarter with a charge, but the Bucks didn’t commit any team fouls for a long time. On the flip side, they managed to stay in the game by getting to the line consistently in the second quarter.
Just like in Game 1, Goran Dragic was the man who started well in the first half for the Heat. He put up 17 points by halftime.
The strong play by the rest of the team also allowed Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to rest for an extended time in the second quarter.
Butler, being a true team player, was more than happy to watch his teammates carry the lead. He finished with eight points, while everyone not named Butler or Dragic contributed 41 points in the first half.
It was still a close game at halftime though, with the Bucks chipping away at the lead a little bit as it finished 66-60.
The Bucks made it a fight in the second half, and by the start of the fourth quarter it was a one point game.
When he came back into the fourth quarter, Butler still only had eight points when he came back in with a little less than eight minutes left in the game. He finished the game with 13.
The Heat would not be deterred by the Bucks’ fighting spirit, though, and they hit back to back threes to make it 103-93 with 7:44 left in the game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t going to just take a loss without battling, though, and he pulled it to 111-107 with 1:17 left in the game. Bam Adebayo answered with a jumper, but then fouled out shortly after.
Antetokounmpo’s free throw woes propped up again in the final minute, as he missed a pair of free throws to preserve a 113-107 lead for the Heat. He finished the game with 29 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a block.
A crazy sequence followed in the closing moments with Antetokounmpo dunking the ball with 15 seconds left, and then Butler turned it over at his own baseline which allowed Brook Lopez to get a quick dunk to make it a 113-111 game.
The Heat almost turned the ball over again with 7.7 seconds left, but it was Butler who came ahead. He split his free throws to make it a 114-111 game, setting the Bucks up for a final crack at a tie.
Milwaukee took full advantage, and managed to get the ball to Middleton, who was fouled with 4.3 seconds left while taking a three pointer. The foul was questionable, as Dragic didn’t look to be moving into Khris Middleton.
Middleton sank the trio of free throws, forcing the Heat to use their final timeout to try to win the game. Milwaukee’s number two option ended the game with 23 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
The Heat inbounded to Butler, who was then fouled by Antetokounmpo in another very close call. Butler got to shoot two free throws to win the game.
It was a weird end to the game, but Butler ended up being the hero after almost blowing the game a few plays beforehand.
Seven players scored in double digits for the Heat – the first time they’d done it in their playoff history:
- Goran Dragic (23)
- Tyler Herro (17)
- Jae Crowder (16)
- Bam Adebayo (15)
- Duncan Robinson (13)
- Jimmy Butler (13)
- Kelly Olynyk (13)
The Heat will be happy with their 2-0 lead, but Coach Spoelstra and Butler will be greatly disappointed with the mistakes in the final 19 seconds of the game.
This series is far from over.
