For the Milwaukee Bucks, Game 2 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat was an absolute must-win. The Bucks had already lost Game 1 on Sunday, but even worse, the two-time MVP suffered an injury that would also cause him to miss Game 2. If the Bucks lost again, they'd face going down 0-2 heading to Miami without their franchise player.
Fortunately for the Bucks, they passed this test with flying colors, trouncing the Heat 138-122. That final score doesn't do justice to how dominant Milwaukee was, as it led by over 30 points numerous times. Now, the Bucks tied the series at one game apiece and shifted the momentum back to them.
But how did Milwaukee put on such a clinic without one of the best players in the NBA? Let's break it down.
Fast start
One of several reasons why Milwaukee lost on Sunday was due to a slow start. The Bucks fell behind by double digits in the first quarter and could never fully recover. They brought it to within three points halfway through the third quarter, but the Heat restored the lead to 14 by the end of the quarter.
This time, Milwaukee made sure not to make the same mistake twice. The Bucks ended the first quarter ahead by 7, but they really turned it on in the second quarter. A 24-2 run that spanned nearly four minutes put the Bucks ahead by 22, and they took a 26-point lead into halftime. They then ended the third quarter leading by 33, and with the game already over, they were on cruise control in the fourth.
The Bucks scored 81 first-half points on Wednesday, a playoff record for the franchise. With Miami not well suited to come from behind, starting off fast is critical to winning this series.
The Bucks’ 81 first-half points are a new franchise playoff high for the first half.
📸 @PicknSaveStores Pic of the Game pic.twitter.com/ZpEqdBXpao
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 20, 2023
Historic three-point shooting
When looking at the box score, the first thing that jumps off the page is Milwaukee's insane night from beyond the arc. The Bucks made 25 of their 49 three-pointers, translating to an absurd 51%. Those 25 made threes tied an NBA playoff record originally set by LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
It wasn't just one player who was knocking down the shots for Milwaukee, but several. The two leaders in made threes actually came off the bench, with Pat Connaughton hitting six and Joe Ingles hitting five. In the starting lineup, Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen both hit four, Bobby Portis hit three, and Khris Middleton hit two.
This comes in stark contrast to Game 1 when Milwaukee shot a dreadful 11-45 (24.4%) from three-point range. If the Bucks can consistently shoot from deep like this, good luck stopping them.
The Bucks stepped up in Giannis' absence
Whenever a team is missing a superstar player, it's up to the rest of the team to step up. With Giannis out, that's exactly what the rest of the Bucks did on Wednesday.
“Everyone's ready,” Brook Lopez said after the game. “Everyone has the right mentality coming into the game — the mentality it takes to be a Milwaukee Buck. There's no one above anyone else. We're just out there trying to win.”
We've already gone over several players' stats, so we won't repeat what's already been said. However, it can't be understated how much better they played in every aspect of the game, shooting, rebounding, defending, forcing turnovers, etc. They just played much better team basketball, and if they can repeat that with Giannis back in the lineup, they should be title favorites.
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