Getty 'NBA on TNT' host Charles Barkley ripped into the Miami Heat during a devastating Game 2 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Miami took a tough 109-107 loss during Game 1 of their playoff series against Milwaukee Bucks, and while fans were hyped for another fierce matchup on Monday, Game 2 was absolutely devastating for the Heat.
At the end of the first period, the Bucks were up on the Heat 46-20. At the end of the half, Milwaukee kept the score heavily lopsided going up 78-51. For NBA on TNT host Charles Barkley, that was all of the game he needed to watch. The Hall-of-Famer ripped into the Heat during halftime.
The latest Heat news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Heat newsletter here!
“They’re going to sweep them,” Barkley said of the Bucks. “Miami can’t beat them. I’m telling ya, the addition of Jrue Holiday and P.J. Tucker, this is a much better playoff team. They’re not built — those other teams were built for the regular season.
I love Giannis’ [Antetokounmpo] movement without the ball, they’re not just giving him the ball at the top of the key. They’re going to sweep the Miami Heat.”
Charles Barkley guarantees a Bucks sweep over the Heat 👀
(via @NBAonTNT)
The Heat’s loss on Monday night brought back memories from the first week of the regular season. In December, Milwaukee absolutely routed Miami with a 144-97 win, so Miami knew what kind of damage was possible going into Game 2.
Ron’s ‘Rithmetic explains the disaster that was this evening’s final score.
Miami was outplayed at every facet of the game. During the first half, the Bucks shot 65% from the field and an impressive 60% from beyond the line. By the end of the second half, Heat’s head coach Erik Spoelstra unloaded his bench players. There was no chance of making of a comeback.
Tyler Herro Didn’t Score Any Points Until the 4th Quarter
GettyTyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat handles the ball in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on May 16, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan.
While the entire team struggled, Tyler Herro had a particularly terrible night. He didn’t nail a basket until the fourth quarter. During Game 2, the Kentucky alum scored 4 points in 18 minutes of play.
During Game 1, Herro went 2 of 10, scoring just 10 points in 19 minutes of play. Miami’s young Boy Wonder isn’t even showing flashes of his dominant performance from the playoff bubble last season.
Before Game 2 on Monday, Bleacher Report‘s “Every NBA Playoff Team’s Biggest X-Factor,” said Miami can once again be unstoppable if Herro can bust out of his sophomore slump. Mandela Namaste boasted that Miami could not only reroute this series against Milwaukee but that they could return to the Finals once more. The “X-Factor” in making this musing a reality lies in the resurgence of Herro.
Namaste noted that if Herro can stay confident and deliver as a “quality secondary playmaker for the Heat… then this may be last year’s team all over again… If the 21-year-old is able to rise to that occasion, then we may as well start talking about Miami as a Finals contender once again.”
A positive in this game: Dewayne Dedmon
Similar to Game 1, the Heat’s All-Stars struggled to gain traction on both offense and defense. Bam Adebayo scored 16 points while Jimmy Butler scored 10. Veteran Goran Dragic scored 18 points while DeWayne Dedmon stepped up as the team’s only bright spot. Dedmon scored 19 points in 21 minutes of play.
READ NEXT: Miami Heat Guard Sounds off on All-Stars’ Missed Shots
Comments
Charles Barkley Slams Miami Heat Amid Embarrassing Game 2 Loss