The NBA Playoffs begin in earnest this weekend and the Miami Heat head to Milwaukee to square off against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat survived the play-in round after losing the opener to the Hawks but outlasting the Bulls on Friday night. Milwaukee earned the #1 seed this season with 58 wins. The opening tap is scheduled for 5:30 PM EST.
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The Miami Heat are returning to the playoffs after overcoming a determined Bulls team on Friday night, 102-91. The Heat trailed by five with just over three minutes left before Jimmy Butler and Max Strus combined to push the Heat into the playoffs. Butler and Strus each scored 31 points in the huge win. Strus hit seven 3pt field goals in the game while Butler, as usual, was all over the stat sheet. Butler finished with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals to go along with his 31 points.
“Our team has obviously not been perfect this year,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But I do know one thing about the men in that locker room: The last 48 hours, I know how categorically, unequivocally, how badly and desperately our group wanted to get into this damn thing — and get into the playoffs to have an opportunity to compete for a title.”
No. 31 scored 31 points last night & tied his season-high in any game pic.twitter.com/yJf54uqy7G
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 15, 2023
The Heat come into this first round series with the Bucks with a 2-2 record on the season vs. the Eastern Conference's top seed. The two teams met in both the 2020 and 2021 playoffs with Miami winning the first series in five games and the Bucks sweeping the Heat in 2021 on their way to an NBA title. Each team won both their games at home this season although the last matchup in Milwaukee was played mostly by reserves. Butler averaged over 22 points per game in the four games while Bam Adebayo chipped in with 19.5 points per game. Miami averaged over 108 points per game in the four games while shooting just under 45% from the floor. The Heat outrebounded the Bucks by an average of six rebounds per game and hit on just 29% of their 3pt field goals.
Key Injuries: PG Kyle Lowry re-injured his knee and did not return to the game against the Bulls. His status for game one is doubtful.