By Mark Angelo Mañez
 |
| PHOTO: Spin PH/AP |
MIAMI — The Miami Heat engineered a 58-point turnaround
against the Milwaukee Bucks in 24 hours.
And just like that, an embarrassing loss was avenged.
Goran Dragic scored 26 points off the bench, Bam Adebayo
finished with 22 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and the Heat beat the
Bucks, 119-108, on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time) — one day after
Milwaukee made an NBA-record 29 3-pointers on the way to a 47-point romp on
Miami's home floor.
Tyler Herro scored 21 points and grabbed a career-best 15
rebounds for Miami, which trailed by 14 early in the second half and rallied to
get a split of the two-game, two-night series against the team that finished
with the NBA's best record in each of the past two regular seasons.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double — 26 points, 13
rebounds, 10 assists — for the Bucks. Donte DiVincenzo scored 15 and Jrue
Holiday 13 for Milwaukee, while Khris Middleton was held to eight on 3-for-15
shooting.
Avery Bradley scored 16 and Kelly Olynyk had 15 for Miami.
Milwaukee's lead was 72-58 early in the second half, 84-73
with 3:44 left in the third. It was all Miami from there, with the Heat — who
were without Jimmy Butler for a second straight game because of a sprained
right ankle — outscoring the Bucks 40-15 over the next 12 minutes.
Herro beat the third-quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer to get
Miami within three, Dragic opened the final quarter with another 3 to tie it
and the Heat, who trailed by as many as 51 on Tuesday, took the lead for good
on a 3 by Olynyk with 9:04 left.
From the outset, it was nothing like Tuesday's Milwaukee
romp.
Milwaukee had 21 points after four minutes Tuesday; the
Bucks were held to four in the first four minutes Wednesday. The Bucks had 46
points after one quarter Tuesday; they had 45 in the first 19 minutes on
Wednesday.
And eventually, the Heat found a way to end 2020 with a win.
Brook Lopez, arguing that Adebayo flopped for a foul in the
first half, theatrically fell to the court before Adebayo took the ensuing free
throws. Pat Connaughton scored 12 and Bobby Portis had 11 for Milwaukee.
Andre Iguodala got his first start as a member of the Heat,
meaning for the 17th consecutive year — 2004 through 2020 — he has started at
least one game. Miami used 11 players in the first quarter alone.
Milwaukee finished the calendar year 33-20 (28-15 regular
season, 5-5 playoffs). Miami finished 2020 at 36-29 (22-22 regular season, 14-7
playoffs).
The Heat have used four starting lineups in their first four
games, a franchise first. The only other teams to use four lineups in four
games this season: Cleveland and Minnesota. The Bucks have had the same
starters in all five games.
The Bucks will host Chicago on New Year's Day while Miami
will visit Dallas on the same day.
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