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Given recent events, the Milwaukee Bucks will want to limit the Miami Heat trip to the foul line.
The Heat set an NBA record for 40-40 free throws in a 112-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said of his long-suffering team this season, “It’s a team we can all relate to. It’s the team I like.”
On Thursday, the Heat will host the 2021 NBA Championship-winning Bucks. The Heat will also host the Bucks on Saturday afternoon.
Miami is 10-11 on the road and 12-9 at home this season.
It remains to be seen how healthy the Heat will be on Thursday. On Tuesday, Miami averaged 42.6 points per game while missing his four starters, including his two in Bam Adebayo (wrist) and Tyler Herro (foot). His points starting, which leads the team with 5.6 assists per game, his guard Kyle and his Lowry were sidelined due to knee discomfort.
Spoelstra hopes all three players will be back on Thursday. But on Tuesday, Miami used just seven players after backup center Dwayne Dedmon had a temper tantrum and was ejected.
Miami’s ever-believable star, Jimmy Butler, came to the rescue with a game-high 35 points and made all 23 free throws.
For the season, Butler leads Miami in points scored (22.1) and steals (2.2) and ranks second in assists (5.5) and rebounds (6.4).
Meanwhile, the Bucks started the season 9-0, but have averaged roughly 18-14 over the past two months.
Part of the problem is that Chris Middleton has missed 13 straight games due to a knee injury.
A three-time All-Star, Middleton faced the Boston Celtics in last year’s playoff series, which the Bucks swept.
“We need this guy,” Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Middleton, who has averaged more than 20 points over the past three years.
Of course, what the Bucks need most is the continued excellence of Antetokounmpo, who was named the NBA’s MVP in 2019 and 2020. He was also his 2021 NBA Finals MVP.
Antetokounmpo ranks third in the league in points scored (31.0) and rebounds (11.9). He also ranks second on the Bucks in assists (5.3), behind Drew Holiday (7.1). Holiday has made two appearances as a first-team All-NBA defender.
The Bucks are on a two-game winning streak, beating the New York Knicks 111-107 on Monday and the Atlanta Hawks 114-105 on Wednesday.
Against New York, the Bucks rallied after trailing by 17 points with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Milwaukee’s Joe Ingles scored a season-high 17 points as the Bucks heated up against the Knicks.
“I think I can make a lot of[three-point shots]in the long run,” Ingles said.
Against the Hawks, Antetokounmpo had a season-low 7 points on 3-of-10 shooting. However, he led the game in rebounds (18) and assists (10).
Holliday (27 points) and Brook Lopez (20 points, 12 rebounds) made up for Milwaukee’s scoring deficit.
One of the Bucks’ downsides on Wednesday was starting guard Grayson Allen’s ankle injury. Allen played 13 minutes and missed the entire second half.
–Field level media
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