After an overtime thriller in Game 1, the expectation was for another slugfest in Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, but it only took one quarter of play for the Bucks to run away and hide behind some outrageous three-point shooting, as they buried the Heat in a 132-98 win that felt every bit like a 34-point blowout.
The Bucks got production from just about everybody, as Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, while Bryn Forbes caught fire in the first half on his way to a 22-point outing that no one saw coming. Jrue Holiday only had 11 points, but showed his value as the orchestrator of the Bucks offense, dishing out 15 assists as he happily fed all of Milwaukee’s red-hot shooters. On the other side, the Heat’s leading scorer was Dewayne Dedmon with 19 points, which tells you just about everything you need to know about their offensive output in Game 2. Milwaukee’s defense continues to mystify Bam Adebayo, who has looked extremely uncomfortable against Brook Lopez through two games, and the adjustment of putting Giannis’ size on Jimmy Butler, coupled with Lopez lurking near the rim, has nullified the Heat’s star forward to this point.
Entering Game 3, Miami is desperate for a win and they’ll have to figure out how to crack the code of the Bucks defense, while also finding their shooting stroke from Game 1 when they hit 20 threes to push the Bucks to overtime.
From a betting standpoint, Game 2 went over the total with ease thanks to Milwaukee’s three-point outburst and the Bucks covered the closing point spread of five points by a healthy 29 points.
Game 3 TV Info
Tip Time: Thursday, May 27; 7:30 p.m. ET
TV Network: TNT
Game 3 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Series Prices: Bucks (-1430), Heat (+800)
Spread: Bucks -1.5 (-112), Heat +1.5 (-110)
Total: Over 226.5 (-110), Under 226.5 (-112)
Money Line: Bucks (-121), Heat (+102)