The Milwaukee Bucks (19-25) defeated the Miami Heat (23-19) 91-79 on Tuesday.
The Bucks still sport a disappointing record, but have slowly begun piling up victories against some superior teams. Last week saw Milwaukee rattle off wins against the likes of the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks, as well as the talented but underachieving Charlotte Hornets. A new week started with more of the same, as Milwaukee exploited a depleted Heat squad by scoring an impressive road triumph at the American Airlines Arena, where Miami had tallied a 15-8 record coming into tonight's contest. The same formula that's largely spearheaded the Bucks' recent successes–leaning on the talented triumverate of Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greg Monroe–worked well again Tuesday, and proved pivotal in helping the Bucks keep their momentum going.
Middleton put together his seventh 20-point-plus performance in the last eight games, tallying 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a pair of steals. Greg Monroe extended a notable streak himself, posting a sixth straight double-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and a block. Meanwhile, the Greek Freak contributed 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and a block. With his talented teammates putting together such productive performances, Antetokounmpo only needed to take 10 shot attempts on the night. Jerryd Bayless paced the Milwaukee bench with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal.
The Bucks improved to 19-25 and currently reside in last place in the Eastern Conference's Central Division. They now head to Houston to take on the Rockets in a Friday showdown.
Miami put together a valiant effort with a depleted roster, and Hassan Whiteside did his best to put the offense on his shoulders. The four-year pro put together his fourth straight double-double with 23 points, 18 rebounds, an assist and a pair of blocks. Chris Bosh, the next healthiest talented Heat player at the moment, matched Whiteside's scoring output and added five boards, two assists and a steal. Luol Deng was the only other Miami player with double-digit scoring, totaling 11 points, four rebounds and two assists. Amar'e Stoudemire and Gerald Green paced the Heat bench with a pair of modest six-point efforts.
Miami fell to 23-19, their fifth loss in the last six games. They currently reside in second place in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division and now head to Washington to take on the Wizards in a Wednesday showdown.
