The Miami Heat came up short against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, 123-115. Miami’s loss marks their third in the last four games. The recent skid has brought their record to 29-25, which has them slotted at sixth in the Eastern Conference, just one game above the seventh place New York Knicks.
The driving force behind Milwaukee’s February 4 victory was, of course, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. He notched a triple-double against Miami, totaling 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists.
After picking apart the Heat defense, the Greek Freak discussed his gameplan when going against Miami.
“You kind of know what to expect from the Miami team, we’ve played them so many times, I’ve played them so many times throughout my years,” he said via nba.com. “You know they’re going to help one another, they’re going to be aggressive on defense. So, you just have to make the right pass, keep being aggressive, and make as many good decisions as you can throughout the game.”
Bucks Coach Issues Strong Statement on Heat
Antetokounmpo wasn’t the only member of the Bucks to share some thoughts on the Heat. After watching his team claim the victory, Milwaukee Head Coach Mike Budenholzer talked about Jimmy Butler’s strong performance, specifically.
“That’s one of the toughest things is to keep him off the free throw line,” Budenholzer explained via Bally Sports Wisconsin. “Overall, I think we can be better with that, it’s a huge challenge. He was aggressive there for stretch and kind of put them up, luckily we were able to flip it. He’s a great player, we have a ton of respect for him. We know that he can do a little bit of everything. He’s great playmaker and facilitator, but when he needs to score he can do that.”
Butler, who played his college ball in Milwaukee at Marquette University, put together a solid night at Fiserv Forum. He posted 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists, while shooting 11-21 from the floor and 9-10 from the free throw line.
The 11-year-veteran has been reliable for the Heat all season. He’s appeared in 39 of Miami’s 54 games this year, playing 33.9 minutes each time. The 33-year-old averages 21.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, while shooting 51.8% overall and 30.6% from beyond the arc.
Heat’s Jimmy Butler Jokes About All-Star Snub
Though Butler has been fantastic for the Heat this season, he was not select to play in the All-Star Game.
Following the loss to Milwaukee, the Heat star was asked if he was disappointed to be left off of the roster.
“Me no All-Star? Please. I’ll see y’all when I see y’all. But Bam does deserve that. He’s been carrying the load a lot this year. I’m happy for him,” he told the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. “As for me? I’m happy I get a vacation.”
Butler, asked if he’s at all disappointed about not making All Star team o OK with it: “Me no All-Star? Please. I’ll see you’all when I see you’all. But Bam does deserve that. He’s been carrying the load a lot this year. I’m happy for him. As for me? I’m happy I get a vacation.”
While Butler enjoys his vacation, his teammate, Bam Adebayo will be the only member of the Heat in Utah for the All-Star festivities.
Adebayo certainly deserved the honor, as he’s been playing the best basketball of his career. He’s appeared in 49 of Miami’s 54 games, playing 35.1 minutes each time. The former Kentucky star averages a career-high 21.5 points per game, to go along with 10 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He’s been efficient as well, shooting 54.1% from the field.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo Issues Message on Predictable Heat After Miami Beatdown