Bucks win without Giannis against Heat, as Jrue Holiday registers double-double in 122-138 win

The Milwaukee Bucks finally won their first playoff game, beating the Miami Heat without their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, in their first-round series matchup of the NBA postseason.

Center Brook Lopez shot lights out of the field, converting 12 of his 17 shots (70.5 percent) and finishing Wednesday night’s game with 25 points in the 122-138 home win.

Jrue Holiday was the team’s second leading scorer with 24 points. The 32-year-old Bucks point guard also had 11 assists, completing a memorable double-double.

It was a night of struggle for Miami. Jimmy Butler was the only player on the Heat to finish with more than 20 points. The 33-year-old had 25 points on 8-12 overall admissions (66 percent).

Center Bam Adebayo was second with 18 points, while Victor Oladipo and Cody Martin impressed from the bench, each scoring 15 points to narrow the deficit for Miami. The Heat struggled in the second quarter, scoring just 27 points compared to Milwaukee’s 46.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, 28, sat out Game 2 for the Bucks and recovers daily

Milwaukee Bucks’ Pat Connaughton had a playoff career-high 22 points while going 6-of-10 from outside the arc

The Bucks went 25-of49 on 3-point attempts to tie the NBA record for 3-point baskets in a postseason game. Pat Connaughton, who didn’t even play in Game 1, added a playoff career-high 22 points while going 6-of-10 from outside the arc.

Antetokounmpo remained out for Milwaukee after leaving the Bucks’ 130–117 Game 1 loss with a bruised lower back early in the second quarter. The two-time MVP suffered the injury after a hard fall after fouling a drive to the basket late in the first period.

“We will continue to monitor him and expect him to get better and remain optimistic that he will be ready to play soon,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer before the game.

The Bucks also missed guard Wesley Matthews, who sprained his right calf in Game 1. The Heat didn’t have Tyler Herro, who broke his right hand in Game 1 and probably won’t return this season unless Miami reach the NBA Finals. .

For at least one night, the Bucks didn’t miss Antetokounmpo at all, as they took advantage of a dramatic turnaround in 3-point shooting. In Game 1, the Bucks went 11 of 45 on 3-point attempts, while the Heat went 15 of 25. This time, the Bucks made more than half of their 3-point shots in a record-breaking performance.

Joe Ingles scored 17 points for the Bucks and was 5 of 6 from outside the arc. Khris Middleton and Grayson Allen each added 16 points. Bobby Portis had 13 points and 15 rebounds.

The Heat will turn their attention to making the most of home field advantage, hosting the Bucks in Game 3 on Saturday.

The Bucks initially thrived by relying on the same formula they used the last time they played a postseason home game without Antetokounmpo. They gave the ball to Lopez early and often.

Miami’s Gabe Vincent shoots Brook Lopez, of the Bucks, during the first half of Game 2

Miami’s Jimmy Butler was the only Heat player to score more than 20 points in the team’s first loss of the postseason. Shooting for the photo against Brook Lopez of the Bucks

The Bucks led by as much as 36 in the third quarter, before the Heat beat Milwaukee 37-20 in the fourth quarter to make the final score somewhat respectable

Lopez, who scored just 10 points in Game 1, had 14 at the end of the first quarter on Wednesday. During Milwaukee’s 2021 title run, Lopez had scored a career-high 34 points to help the Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks 123–112 in Game 5 of the East Finals, while Antetokounmpo was out with a hyperextended left knee.

Lopez’s success in indoors opened things up to everyone on the fringes.

Connaughton sank a three-pointer that capped off an 11-0 run to put Milwaukee ahead 62-41 with 5:29 left in the second quarter. Butler ended that spurt by making two free throws, but the Bucks scored the next 13 points—including seven by Ingles—to take a 32-point lead.

The Bucks led by as many as 36 in the third quarter. The Heat beat the Bucks 37-20 in the fourth quarter to make the final score somewhat respectable.