No team in the history of the NBA has ever won a series after being down a 0-3 hole. The Milwaukee Bucks now have a chance to be the first team to do it, but of course, they will have to win Game 4 first this Sunday against the surging Miami Heat, who have yet to lose in the playoffs. Check out our preview of this game below.
Well, the Bucks have no more room for another loss. Another one would mean an embarrassing early exit from the playoffs, as they suffered their third loss in a row against the Heat in Game 3, 115-100. It was an especially gut-wrenching loss for the Bucks, as they were outscored 40-15 in the final quarter. Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 22 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had a near triple-double of 21 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists. However, he went just 7 for 21 from the field and was a non-factor in the fourth quarter in which he scored just four points. As the reigning MVP (currently a finalist for another MVP plum, too), Antetokounmpo can’t have disappearing acts like that, as much of the Bucks’ fate hinges on him. However, Khris Middleton has to act like an All-Star, too, in the clutch. He scored zero points in the fourth quarter of Game 3, finishing with just 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting.
The Bucks are 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games.
The Heat mean business. Often overlooked, Miami has definitely made a strong statement on why it should be taken seriously, especially after going three games up in this series against the No. 1 overall seed. Jimmy Butler is playing like a true leader who takes no for an answer, as he scored 17 of his 30 points in Game 3 during the frenetic fourth-quarter run by the Heat. Butler is winning his matchup against Antetokounmpo, and his Heat teammates are picking up on it. But Antetokounmpo’s diminished play can also be attributed to the fantastic job of Bam Adebayo, who had 20 points and 16 rebounds in Game 3. Going back to Butler, he is averaging 27.7 points on 56.1 percent shooting from the field and 44.4 percent shooting from deep. Speaking of outside shooting, the Heat are making 38.2 percent of their 3-point attempts in the series. In Game 3, the Heat went 18 for 47 from behind the arc.
The Heat are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games.
