Milwaukee Bucks rout Miami Heat 132-98 in Game 2 of Eastern Conference playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks were the top team in the Eastern Conference in each of the last two seasons. Not only that, they were the top defensive team in the league as well. Unfortunately, that success did not carry over into the postseason. This includes a disappointing 4-1 series loss to the Miami Heat in last year’s playoffs.

This season, the Milwaukee Bucks finished as the No. 3 seed in the East. And their first-round opponent is none other than the Heat squad that eliminated them a year ago. In the series opener, the game came down to the final possession.

With the game tied at 107, Bucks forward Khris Middleton hit this game-winning shot to stake Milwaukee to a 1-0 lead.

The fact that Game 1 was tightly contested, it appeared that these two teams were heading toward a long series. But while the Bucks narrowly defeated their opponent in the series opener, Game 2 would be a different story altogether.

For starters, the Bucks scored 46 points in the first quarter. And they led 78-51 going into intermission. Although the Heat have played the Bucks pretty tough in the postseason, there would be no comeback in this one. The Bucks cruised to a convincing 132-98 victory, giving them a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks offense with 31 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field. The reigning MVP also collected 13 rebounds, handed out six assists and recorded three steals. Middleton contributed 17 points despite attempting only five shots.

Another noteworthy stat from this contest is the performance of Milwaukee’s bench. The second unit produced 61 points. Bryn Forbes led this group with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 6-for-9 from 3-point range.

The Bucks also got the job done at the defensive end of the court as well. They limited the Heat to 40.2 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. Now that they have their opponent on the ropes, the Bucks will look to take a commanding 3-0 lead when the series resumes on Thursday night.