The Milwaukee Bucks will be trying to avoid elimination when they face the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series on Tuesday night. Miami leads the series 3-1.
Heat Trying To Close Out Series
The Heat won their first seven playoff games and had a chance to eliminate the Bucks in their last game, but couldn’t seal the deal. They will try to bounce back from their first playoff loss and send the Bucks home with a win on Tuesday night.
Miami has played well offensively in the series, averaging 115.2 points per game. They are shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three-point range.
Jimmy Butler is a big reason for their success, averaging 22.4 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Goran Dragic is averaging 21.6 points and five assists per game while Bam Adebayo is averaging 16.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
Miami has also played well defensively, holding opponents to 104.9 points per game in the playoffs. They are holding the Bucks to 109 points per game and will need to keep playing well on the defensive end if they want to move on to the next round.
Bucks Hoping Antetokounmpo Healthy Enough To Play
The Bucks have struggled in this series, but things took a turn for the worse when MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with an ankle injury that kept him out of the second half of their last game.
Even though they managed to win the game in overtime, the Bucks will need Antetokounmpo on the floor if they want to get the win.
Milwaukee had its best offensive performance of the series in their last game, scoring 118 points in the overtime win. Khris Middleton stepped up for the team and finished with 36 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in 48 minutes.
Eric Bledsoe also chipped in 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in his best performance of the series. If Antetokounmpo is unable to play, the Bucks will need players like Bledsoe and Middleton to step up once again.
Defensively, the Bucks were one of the best teams in the regular season, but they have struggled against the Heat, giving up 115.2 points per game. They will need to do a better job on the defensive end if they want to get the win.
Notable Trends
Milwaukee is:
- 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Miami is:
- 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
- 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games.
