Jimmy Butler-less Heat rallies to defeat Bucks in overtime for 2-0 start to the season
The Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat continues to find a way.
After opening the season with a win Wednesday despite missing the four-time All-Star, the Heat (2-0) overcame Butler’s absence once again for an impressive 131-126 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (1-1) on Saturday at Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks led by 21 with 10:58 remaining in the third quarter, but the Heat ended up winning the second half and overtime 78-56 to complete the comeback. It marks Miami’s largest comeback since overcoming a 21-point deficit against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 1, 2015 and its largest road comeback since overcoming a 27-point deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 20, 2013.
With the Heat missing its final three free throws of regulation, reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo made Miami pay with a tip-in in the final second to tie the game at 121 and force overtime. But Antetokounmpo fouled out with 2:31 remaining in overtime, and the Heat outscored the Bucks 10-5 in the five-minute period.
It was a mix of youth and veteran experience that helped lead the shorthanded Heat, with Butler away from the team because of the birth of his daughter.
When it was done, seven Heat players finished with double-digit points led by 25 from guard Goran Dragic. Dragic, has looked sharp to start the season in his new bench role, also finished with six rebounds and eight assists.
Rookie guard Kendrick Nunn had another solid night, with 18 points on 8 of 17 shooting, four rebounds and five assists. Nunn’s 42 total points to start the season is tied with Willie Burton (1990) for the most by a Heat player in his first two NBA games.
Two of Miami’s other young players, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo, stuffed the stat sheet with quality all-around performances. Winslow finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and Adebayo recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
First-round pick Tyler Herro, who grew up in the Milwaukee area, finished with 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting in his return home.
Antetokounmpo was dominant, as usual. The Bucks forward finished with 29 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists, but also committed eight turnovers.
One of the keys to the Heat’s victory was to control the Bucks from three-point range. Miami didn’t do that in the first half with Milwaukee making 14 threes over the first two quarters, but the Bucks were limited to just three threes over the rest of the game.
Along with Butler’s absence, the Heat were without forwards James Johnson (conditioning) and Udonis Haslem (sprained left wrist). Guard Dion Waiters was also unavailable, as he’s expected to rejoin the Heat on Monday after serving his one-game suspension in Wednesday’s opener.
That left the Heat with 12 available players against the Bucks, including both of its two two-way contract players, forward Chris Silva and guard Daryl Macon.
Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. exited the game with 9:46 remaining in the fourth quarter because of a left groin strain, and he did not return.
The Heat closes its quick two-game trip with a Sunday matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the second night of a back-to-back.
This story was originally published October 26, 2019 at 8:13 PM.
