Bucks take 2-0 series lead over Heat with 132-98 win

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Milwaukee Bucks opened the first quarter with hot shooting from three and never looked back en route to a 132-98 win over Miami and a 2-0 series lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Milwaukee matched a playoff record with 10 three-pointers made as a team with Bryn Forbes hit four from deep to score 14 first quarter points. This shooting performance came one game after Milwaukee shot just 5-31 from three in a game one overtime win over the Heat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 13 rebounds and six assists while shooting (12-23) from the floor and (6-7) at the free throw line.

Bryn Forbes totaled 22 points in 20 minutes on (6-9) shooting from three. Khris Middleton scored 17 points while Jrue Holiday had 11 points and 15 assists which was one assist shy of tying the Bucks playoff record for assists in a game.

Milwaukee’s defense stepped up for a second straight game Jimmy Butler scored just 10 points on (4-10) shooting after making just four of his 22 shots in game one of the series.

Game three will be Thursday night at 6:30 PM in Miami.

Milwaukee shot 22 of 53 from 3-point range – including 15 of 29 in the first half – and never trailed while leading by as many as 36 points. The Bucks’ 22 3-pointers were their highest total ever in a playoff game.

Forbes scored 22 points and went 6 of 9 on 3-point attempts.

The Bucks own a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series as they attempt to oust the team that beat them 4-1 in the second round last year. Game 3 takes place Thursday in Miami.

Milwaukee’s two victories in this season couldn’t have looked much more different.

The Bucks needed Khris Middleton’s tiebreaking jumper with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to pull out a 109-107 victory in Game 1, which neither team ever led by more than eight points. Milwaukee essentially put away Game 2 in the first quarter as its 3-point attack went from fizzling to sizzling.

Milwaukee had shot 5 of 31 from behind the arc and made its fewest 3-pointers of the season Saturday. The Bucks were 10 of 15 on 3-point attempts in the first quarter alone Monday.

The Bucks led 46-20 at the end of the first quarter and 78-51 at halftime as they posted the highest first-half point total in their playoff history.

The hottest shooter on the floor was Forbes, who signed with Milwaukee in November after spending four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. Forbes came off the bench to score 14 points in the first quarter while shooting 5 of 6 overall and 4 of 5 on 3-pointers.

Middleton finished with 17 points and Pat Connaughton had 15 while shooting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Antetokounmpo had 13 rebounds and six assists to go along with his 31 points.

Jrue Holiday’s 15 assists were one off the Bucks playoff record that is shared by Paul Pressey and Oscar Robertson. Holiday also had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Miami’s Dewayne Dedmon had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Heat in both categories. Goran Dragic had 18 points and Bam Adebayo added 16.

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