Khris Middleton’s Late Jumper Helped The Bucks Knock Off The Heat In A Game 1 Overtime Thriller

There was a whole lot of anticipation for the 3-6 matchup in the Eastern Conference this postseason. On the surface, the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the Miami Heat is a ton of fun, as they are both two very respectable basketball teams, but considering how things went last year during the playoffs — Miami punking Milwaukee in the conference semis to send them home — it was hard not to get excited about the next chapter between these two sides.

It took exactly 53 minutes for these teams to rekindle their rivalry and give us an absolutely scintillating Game 1, setting the tone for what should be a delightful series. Thanks to some late heroics by Khris Middleton, the Bucks were able to draw first blood, picking up a thrilling 109-107 win.

The shot making from both teams was nothing short of terrific — every time one squad had a lead, the other seemed to come down and hit an absolutely ridiculous shot to give them the edge. For example, with just under 40 seconds left in OT and the Bucks up one, Jrue Holiday seemed to give Milwaukee just enough breathing room, corralling a Duncan Robinson miss and going coast-to-coast.

On the ensuing possession for the Heat, though, Goran Dragic responded, drilling a three from the corner to tie things up. Milwaukee went the other way, putting the ball in Middleton’s hands and letting him go to work. The All-Star forward responded by taking a contested jumper that couldn’t have looked any prettier going through the rim.

Miami couldn’t get a shot off on the other end — Holiday smothered Jimmy Butler’s attempt at a game-winner and prevented him from playing hero for the second time on the day — and as a result, the Bucks find themselves with the advantage. Middleton led Milwaukee on the day with 27 points on 10-for-22 shooting with six rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

Game 2 between the Bucks and the Heat will take place on Monday at 7:30 p.m. EST on TNT.