Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat blow by Milwaukee Bucks for 2-1 series lead as Giannis Antetokounmpo skips second game running
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Miami's Jimmy Butler gets ready to take a shot as Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday defends in their NBA play-off game.
PHOTO: AFP
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MIAMI – Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer admitted they were “hoping for the best”, after two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a second consecutive game as the 2021 champions went 2-1 down on Saturday.
Jimmy Butler scored 30 points before resting in the fourth quarter, as hosts Miami Heat beat the Bucks 121-99 to take the lead in their National Basketball Association first-round Eastern Conference play-off series against the top seeds.
Antetokounmpo suffered a lower back bruise in Game 1 and has not practised with the team since.
“He’s just not ready to go. I don’t think it’s always a linear thing. He’s not in a place where he can go. We’ll continue to monitor him, work with him and hope for the best,” said Budenholzer, who had been optimistic about the Greek’s fitness before the game.
Reserve Duncan Robinson made five three-pointers and scored 20 points on his 29th birthday for Miami, who led by as many as 29 points and never trailed after taking control late in the first quarter.
Kyle Lowry scored 15 points off the bench for the Heat, while Max Strus added 12 points. Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 23 points.
Said Middleton: “We still had our chances. Just couldn’t get it together.”
Budenholzer added: “Like I said, give them credit. They played well. We need to deal with a lot of things better. That’ll be the challenge going into the next game.”
The third seeds in the East, the Philadelphia 76ers, had a much easier ride in their best-of-seven, first-round play-off series.
They shook off the absence of Joel Embiid to sweep Brooklyn on Saturday, with a dominant 96-88 victory over the Nets that completed their 4-0 triumph.
Philadelphia trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter but transformed the contest with an 18-4 run to take the lead before closing out victory with a fourth-quarter rally.
The Sixers’ win was all the more impressive given the absence of MVP candidate Embiid, who sprained his right knee in last Thursday’s 102-97 Game 3 win.
Paul Reed stepped in to fill the void and finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Tobias Harris led the scoring for Philadelphia with 25 points and 12 rebounds. He said the Sixers were determined to use Embiid’s absence as a motivator.
“He’s the MVP. And when we heard he wasn’t playing, I think it was an opportunity for everybody else to really step up,” Harris told broadcaster TNT.
James Harden, who had 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, added: “Obviously, today was big for us so we can get big fella healthy. That’s priority No. 1.” REUTERS, AFP
