The Miami HEAT fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 114-108 Wednesday night at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Hassan Whiteside led the way for the HEAT with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
1. Deng Heats Up in the Second Half
Luol Deng really started to cook in the third quarter, where he scored 11 points. He attacked Milwaukee from both inside and outside, as he hit a few hook shots in addition to some jumpers from the perimeter. Deng also benefited from Miami’s improved ball movement in the second half and drilled two 3-pointers in the contest. Of course, the vet continued to crash the boards as well. In all, Deng finished with 20 points, 11 boards, two assists and two steals on 9-of-17 shooting.
2. Whiteside Dominates Early
After the HEAT had a slow start to the game, Whiteside went to work in the second quarter. The center dominated the Bucks inside with nifty hook shots, put-backs and alley-oop jams. Speaking of alley-oops, one of the best ones for Miami actually came in transition.
With 8:49 left in the second quarter, Justise Winslow grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it up ahead to Goran Dragic. Once Dragic approached the paint, he flipped up a sky-high lob for Whiteside, which the big man crushed down with both hands.
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The 26-year-old scored 13 points and grabbed five boards in just the second quarter. Although Whiteside’s presence on both ends kept the HEAT in the game early on, he continued to do well in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t quite enough. In addition to his 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, Whiteside also tallied 13 rebounds and three blocks on Wednesday night.
3. Richardson Makes Some Noise
When Josh Richardson was drafted, his defensive prowess was well documented. As the season has progressed, the rookie has also shown what he can do on the offensive side of the ball. Against Milwaukee, Richardson stretched the floor for Miami and went 3-of-4 from downtown. Oh, and let’s not forget an unforgettable sequence the young man had late in the first half.
With 2:25 to go in the second quarter, Richardson aggressively drove past Tyler Ennis from the left wing and threw down the nasty one-handed jam over Greg Monroe.
In total, Richardson tallied 14 points, two assists, two steals and a team-best plus-six rating against the Bucks.
Game Note: Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson (shoulder surgery) sat out.
