Bucks outlast Heat, win again without Giannis Antetokounmpo

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 32 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 128-117 victory over the visiting Miami Heat on Tuesday night.

Ryan Rollins added 21 for Milwaukee, which won its seventh game in its last nine tries without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf). Bobby Portis matched Rollins’ 21 off the bench, while Kyle Kuzma added 19.

Norman Powell scored a team-high 26 points for Miami, which saw its three-game winning streak end. Bam Adebayo added 18 points and nine rebounds.

It was a high-flying affair early on and throughout the first half.

Milwaukee was able to grow a lead as high as 12 in the second quarter, though a quick 14-2 run from Miami in less than two minutes evened the score again at 50 with 4:31 to go until halftime.

Cam Thomas scored the final five points of the half to put Milwaukee up 63-58 going into the break. The teams were eerily similar from the floor, between 44-45% overall and both at a tick better than 38% from deep.

Miami found some momentum in the third and was able to get some key stops on the defensive end. Adebayo scored 10 points in the quarter and Milwaukee shot just 39.1% from the floor as the Heat went into the fourth up 93-89.

The Heat grew that to their largest lead at nine to start the fourth, but Milwaukee quickly answered with three straight 3-pointers to take the lead right back.

The game went back and forth from there, but Milwaukee would eventually craft a game-winning run. Down by two with 4:09 to go, Milwaukee rattled off a 12-1 run including back-to-back jumpers from Rollins to put the game out of reach.

The season series between these Eastern Conference teams sits even at 1-1 with the deciding matchup set for March 12.

–Field Level Media