SUMMARY
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The Milwaukee Bucks bounced back in the new NBA season with a vengeance after humiliating their playoff tormentors, the defending Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat with a 47-point burial, 144-97, on Tuesday, December 29 (Wednesday, December 30, Manila time).
With All-Star forward and NBA Finals hero Jimmy Butler sitting out due to an ankle injury, the Bucks took advantage of the Heat’s weakened perimeter defense and set a new NBA record 29 three-pointers in 49 attempts.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, 12 Bucks players recorded at least one three-pointer, another NBA record.
“Some nights, the basketball gods are with you a little bit, and it was probably one of those nights for us,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
“But I liked our defense, too. I think the energy on both ends of the court feeds and builds on each other and good things will happen.”
The Bucks’ previous record for three-pointers in a game was 22, against the Sacramento Kings on November 4, 2018.
Only reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo failed to record a triple as he finished with just 9 points in a lightened 24-minute workload. Even his older brother Thanasis got one three, his first for his career.
Interestingly, the last time the “Greek Freak” was held to single-digit scoring was also against the Heat more than two years ago on December 22, 2018. But for Wednesday’s game, his services weren’t further needed anyway after a massive 83-51 halftime lead.
Sam Merrill drilled the record-breaking 28th three-pointer of the game, surpassing the 27 set by the Houston Rockets against the Phoenix Suns on April 7, 2019.
Jrue Holiday had 6 three-pointers on the way to 24 points. Khris Middleton, who led the Bucks with 25 points, made 4-of-5 from three-point range.
Starting guard Donte DiVincenzo’s 17 points included 5 three-pointers, and Brook Lopez had 3 treys on the way to 14 points.
“Honestly, (we) just played hard,” Holiday said. “We know the Heat way and how they’re going to come out and play no matter who’s playing.
“So we just wanted to take that approach.”
Likely suffering from the after-effects of a 110-130 upset loss to the lowly New York Knicks in their previous outing, Milwaukee started the game with a 12-0 attack, and ended the opening quarter with a 46-26 lead.
Those 46 points were the most first-quarter markers the Bucks had on the road, and on the other end, were also the most ever given up by the Heat at home to start a game.
“It looked like they had been thinking about this game for 80 days,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
The Bucks’ 144 points were also the second-most the Heat gave up in franchise history, just 4 short of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ onslaught against Miami in an NBA record 68-point win, 148-80, last December 17, 1991.
The Heat will have practically no time to grieve as they will again face the Bucks on Thursday, December 31, still at the American Airlines Arena.
Butler’s injury remains a day-to-day case as Miami slides down to 1-2 in the standings.
Clippers, Sixers rebound
The Los Angeles Clippers also rebounded from a big defeat.
Two days after a 124-73 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Clippers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 124-101.
Lou Williams scored 20 points off the bench to lead 7 Clippers players who scored in double figures.
“We knew coming tonight we had to do better,” said Clippers center Serge Ibaka, who scored 16 points. “We had to be aggressive, just play team basketball.”
The Philadelphia 76ers, coming off a lopsided loss to Cleveland, beat the Toronto Raptors, 100-93.
Center Joel Embiid, who sat out Sunday’s 24-point loss to the Cavaliers with a tight back, led the Sixers with 29 points and 16 rebounds.
In other early games, Julius Randle posted a triple-double of 28 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the New York Knicks to a 95-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But Russell Westbrook’s triple-double of 21 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists – his third in as many appearances in the young season – again went for nothing as his Washington Wizards fell 115-107 to the Chicago Bulls.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 23 points, and Wendell Carter Jr added a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds as Chicago notched their first win of the season.
Washington, meanwhile, fell to 0-4. – with a report from Agence France-Presse
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