By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Milwaukee Bucks received a stunning defeat from the shorthanded Miami Heat squad, 123-97, during their Eastern Conference duel in the ongoing NBA regular season last February 14, 2024.
Entering the highly-anticipated clash without the services of its superstar Jimmy Butler and primary ball handler Terry Rozier, the Heat quickly became the huge underdogs against the healthy Milwaukee team.
However, things quickly changed as early as the opening quarter as the Heat relied on its crisp ball movement backstopped by its waxing hot shooting from the three-point line.
The result turned into positives for the Heat as they opened up a 40-28 lead heading into the second quarter. The duo of Duncan Robinson and Nikola Jovic was instrumental to Miami’s first-quarter surge, combining for six made treys in just 12 minutes of action.
Milwaukee tried to claw their way back after star Giannis Antetokounmpo bullied his way down the shaded lane but it was Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo this time for the Heat who did damage.
Miami continued its dominant outing in the second half and remained consistent with its high-octane offensive execution.
As a result, the Heat never trailed in the game and protected its comfortable double-digit advantage until the final buzzer.
Six players reached the double-digit scoring mark for the Heat led by Jovic who dropped a career-high in points with 24 markers.
Jovic was a surprise pick by head coach Erik Spoelstra to start the game and the Serbian stretch forward delivered when Miami needed him the most.
The lanky shooter drained five out of his eight total attempts from downtown and tallied seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Robinson also had a terrific night shooting the leather and chipped in 23 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Meanwhile, Herro and Kevin Love each contributed 19 points, Adebayo had a triple-double outing of 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. delivered 12 points and four assists.
