NBA Playoffs 2013: Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks Series Recap
The Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks series is officially over, with the Heat defeating the Bucks 4-0 in a series that wasn’t even that close. LeBron James and company took care of business at home, then went to Milwaukee and finished out the series. Nobody expected the Bucks to defeat the Heat except Brandon Jennings (in six, right?), but they really came out and laid an egg. Let’s take a look at the series in review:
Game Scores (Miami wins 4-0)
Game 1 at Miami: Heat 110, Bucks 87
Game 2 at Miami: Heat 98, Bucks 86
Game 3 at Milwaukee: Heat 104, Bucks 91
Game 4 at Milwaukee: Heat 88, Bucks 77
Series MVP
LeBron James is the best player in the league. No surprises here. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
LeBron James
James averaged 24.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting a ludicrous 62.7 percent from the field. He was a plus-57 for the series and saved his best for last.
In Game four, he scored 30 points, with eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. Want to nitpick? He didn’t make a 3-pt shot.
Biggest Surprise
Bucks Were Early Bloomers, If They Bloomed At All
The Bucks didn’t put up much of a fight in the second half of any game in the series. One would expect them to at least show some fire at home, but it simply wasn’t the case. Check out these horrible second-half team scoring splits:
Game 1: Heat +16
Game 2: Heat +8
Game 3: Heat +15
Game 4: Heat +7
In fact, the Bucks won just three quarters in the whole series. It was ugly from start to finish.
Biggest Disappointment
Jennings talked huge, then laid an egg. Photo Credit: NBA.com
Brandon Jennings
After talking big before the series (in six games, right?), Jennings had to back it up. Not only did he NOT back it up, he put up one of the more ghastly series that’s been seen from a guy who’s thought of as an all-star caliber player.
Jennings averaged 13.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. That would be pretty good for a sixth-man. Jennings shot 29.8 percent from the field and just 21.4 percent from the 3-pt line. At least he didn’t lead the team in field goals attempted (14.3 per game) and 3-pt shots attempted (7.0 per game). Wait…he did.
What’s Next
Vs. Chicago Bulls or Brooklyn Nets
The Miami Heat await the winner of the Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets series. The earliest they could start would be Saturday, May 4. That’s great news for Dwyane Wade, who can really use the rest to get his knee as healthy as possible.
While rest can turn into rust, I wouldn’t bet on it with this group. They’ll enjoy not one, not two, not three…days off.