Heat steal Game 1 as Jimmy Butler closes out Bucks late

With Jimmy Butler playing the role of closer, the Miami Heat stole Game 1 from the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Milwaukee Bucks lost Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series, and the Miami Heat decided to help them run it back in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series too.

Thanks to a disappointing performance from likely two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and a stellar second half from Jimmy Butler, the Heat stole their series opener against the league-leading Bucks with an 11-point win on Monday.

Game 1 appeared to be a blowout in the making early on, especially after the Bucks had built up a 40-29 lead by the end of the first quarter. But with Miami’s physical defense making life hell for Giannis, Goran Dragic carrying the scoring load early on and Jimmy Buckets closing Milwaukee out late, the Heat proved they should not be overlooked in this conference semifinal series.

The Bucks were missing Eric Bledsoe in Game 1 and got solid games from Khris Middleton (28 points on 12-of-24 shooting) and Brook Lopez (24 points on 8-of-10 shooting), but they don’t have much to feel good about unless the Greek Freak can quickly turn things around in Game 2.

What else did you miss from Game 1 between the Bucks and Heat?

Coaching move: Spo actually playing his starters real playoff minutes

This has been a criticism of Mike Budenholzer in the past, and it will continue to be the case in these playoffs until he changes his tune. In short, the Bucks are going to be at a disadvantage as long as Bud continues to allocate minutes like these are regular-season games instead of the second round of the damn postseason.

Giannis’ first-half foul trouble limited him to 15 minutes through the first two quarters, but by the end of the third quarter — despite not picking up a single foul in that period — he was still only at 24 minutes. That’s just not going to cut it when the guy is about to be a two-time MVP, especially when Milwaukee was already missing another starter in Bledsoe.

The final box score won’t indicate that anything was amiss; Antetokounmpo and Middleton both finished with 37 minutes and George Hill played 36. But the momentum of the game turned in those second and third quarters, when a potential Milwaukee blowout eventually turned into a six-point lead for Miami heading into the final frame. Instead of adjusting to respond to the moment, Budenholzer carried on as if nothing were wrong.

Spo is just a better playoff coach, and it was on full display in Game 1 in areas reaching well beyond the allocation of minutes. But Milwaukee has more talent, so the easiest way to mitigate the coaching disadvantage? Just play your starters actual playoff minutes, Bud.

MVP: Jimmy Butler

Goran Dragic was the Heat’s best player for most of the night, but when it was time for someone to close out the Bucks, Jimmy Butler relished the opportunity. Scoring 15 of his team-high 40 points over the final six minutes, Jimmy Buckets lived up to his reputation as one of the game’s deadliest closers.

His bucket at the 5:50 mark gave Miami a 97-96 lead. Then he hit a floater at the 3:51 mark to extend the lead to 101-98. On the Heat’s next possession, he drilled a 3 to push Miami’s lead to six. On their next possession, he hit a tough turnaround jumper to extend it to eight, ultimately putting the game out of reach.

Butler was sensational when it mattered most, finishing his night with 40 points on 13-of-20 shooting, with 27 of those points coming in the second half. While rushing to judgment over one game is a fool’s errand come playoff time, there’s no question about who was the best player on the floor in Game 1.

LVP: Missed free throws

Between the foul trouble, the six turnovers and the minus-14 plus/minus, Giannis Antetokounmpo was pretty bad in Game 1. He still nearly had a triple-double, but his playoff-low 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists were a major disappointment.

The biggest problem, however, may have been the missed free throws. As Milwaukee continued to mount its fourth-quarter comeback, Giannis found himself on the line. And as was the case throughout the night, he failed to take advantage of these freebies, going 4-for-12 from the charity stripe.

As a team, the Bucks shot a dismal 14-for-26 from the line (53.8 percent). In case math isn’t your strong suit, that’s 12 missed free throws in an 11-point loss. The Bucks aren’t in panic mode just yet, but the Greek Freak simply has to be better in addressing this Achilles heel that’s plagued him all season long, especially if he’s incapable of knocking down shots off the dribble.