Khris Middleton plays overtime hero as Milwaukee Bucks win game opener against Miami Heat

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is the focal point of the Bucks’ offense, but Khris Middleton was closest for Milwaukee on Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat.

Middleton exhausted a contested and winning fadeaway jumper with less than a second left in overtime, leading the Bucks to a 109-107 victory at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

“I just wanted to get to a place where I knew maybe I could or [Brook Lopez] for a throw, “said Middleton.” I ended up getting there for a shot, so get up and shoot it. I have to have the last one, taking as long as possible, and I can live with the results afterwards. “

The result of the 19-footer was a justification for Middleton, who had struggled in overtime. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer opted not to request a time-out, not allowing Miami to make defensive substitutions and allowing Middleton to orchestrate possession after Heat goalie Goran Dragic equalized the score on a jumper 20.6 seconds from the end. Middleton had missed all three of his previous attempts – including an inflatable ball – and one of two free throws.

“It just shows the trust we all have in each other,” Middleton said. “We run our sets and everyone gets to their places and get the most out of them. We work on that all the time during our practice, and it finally came true.”

Middleton finished with a record 27 points on a 10 for 22 shot from the field, six rebounds and six assists.

The first-round series is a rematch of last year’s conference semifinals, which Miami won 4-1 in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida. It was a devastating result for a Bucks team that compiled the league’s best record during the regular season. In this series, the Heat contained Antetokounmpo with a defensive scheme that became known in NBA parlance as “The Wall” – locating several defenders across the court to limit Antetokounmpo’s forays into the paint.

With Milwaukee trailing 3-0 in that series, Antetokounmpo suffered a right ankle injury early in the second quarter of Game 4 and was sidelined for the remainder of the series. Middleton gave the Bucks a win in this game for their only win in the series.

On Saturday, Antetokounmpo was productive, albeit flawed. He shot 0 for 14 outside the restricted area and 6 for 13 from the foul line. Despite a high percentage shooting regime – his projected effective field goal percentage was 65.1% – he posted an effective field goal percentage of just 37, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He was also whistled for a 10 second violation on the foul line with 1:06 remaining in rule and the Bucks leading by one point.

Antetokounmpo was impactful nonetheless, wreaking havoc both in the transition and on the inside. He swallowed 18 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass, and converted 10 of 14 attempts at close range. The Heat decided not to erect The Wall to contain Antetokounmpo, save for one instance, and teamed him up in doubles on just eight possessions.

The main stars of the first game of the first round series – Antetokounmpo and Heat winger Jimmy Butler – were injured in six minutes in the fourth quarter. Antetokounmpo stuck his left elbow while fighting through a peripheral screen by Heat big man Bam Adebayo. On the same possession, Butler took a ground spill after going through traffic. In the last minute of the game, Butler hit the ground again on a drive when he was fouled by Lopez.

Both players remained in the game, although Antetokounmpo appeared to experience ill effects in the moments that followed, having difficulty extending his left arm. On the sideline during the ensuing timeout, Bucks medics examined Antetokounmpo, who cautiously flexed his arm and froze his elbow. When he returned to the game, Antetokounmpo was wearing a compression sleeve.

After the match, Antetokounmpo deflected questions about his condition.

“I feel great,” Antetokounmpo said. “The elbow is good.”

Budenholzer added that the Bucks “hope it’s nothing.”

The collision between Antetokounmpo and Adebayo was emblematic of a deadly physical affair in which neither team broke the 1.00 point per possession mark, the Mendoza line of sorts for NBA offenses. The only players in the game who shot less than 50% of the field were Heatguards Duncan Robinson (24 points on a 7 for 13 shot) and Dragic (25 points for 10 for 17), as well as Bucks on backup. male Bobby Portis (4 for 6).

Still, in the dying seconds, Middleton emerged from the offensive quagmire to strike a shot that tied the Bucks to their winning tally in last season’s conference semifinal series.

“That’s what he does,” Antetokounmpo said. “Having a guy like Khris with the ball all the way down, you know what’s going to happen.”