Butler's free throws give Heat 2-0 edge on Bucks

[September 03, 2020]  Jimmy Butler made two free throws with no time remaining on the clock Wednesday night, capping a wild finish that featured two controversial calls by the referees and giving the fifth-seeded Miami Heat a second straight win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, 116-114 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Walt Disney World Complex near Orlando.

After posting a 115-104 win in Game 1, the Heat appeared to be in command Wednesday with a 113-107 advantage with less than 20 seconds to go.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo then threw down a dunk, and Brook Lopez stole Butler's inbounds pass, converting a layup that trimmed the gap to two with 8.5 seconds left.

After Butler made just one of two free throws for a 114-111 lead with 7.7 seconds left, Goran Dragic was called for a debated brush foul on a Khris Middleton 3-point attempt. When Middleton made all three of his foul shots, the game shockingly was tied with 4.3 seconds remaining.

That was enough time for Butler to benefit from a similar touch foul at the other end on a corner jumper he got off just before the horn. Antetokounmpo was whistled for putting a hand on Butler's hip during the follow through, setting up the game-winning free throws.

On a night when Butler followed up a 40-point explosion with just 13, the Heat used a 51-21 scoring advantage on 3-pointers to put the Bucks in a big hole.

After trailing by as many as 13 in the first half and 10 in the final period, the Bucks got within 105-102 on a short shot by Antetokounmpo with 5:30 to play.

But Kelly Olynyk countered immediately with his third 3-pointer of the game to double the margin, and then the Heat defense took over.

The Bucks didn't score again until Antetokounmpo sank two free throws with 1:45 to go, which cut the deficit to 111-104. The nearly four-minute drought featured five missed shots and three turnovers.

Dragic scored 23 points and Tyler Herro added 17 points for Miami. Jae Crowder had 16, Bam Adebayo had 15 to go with a team-high nine rebounds, Duncan Robinson 13 and Olynyk 11.

Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives against Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (bottom) during the first half of game two of the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at The Field House. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Butler also found time for a team-high six assists and team-high three steals as the Heat forced 14 turnovers while only committing 10.

Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 29 points and a game-high 14 rebounds after having been held to 18 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1.

Middleton chipped in with 23 points and a game-high eight assists. Eric Bledsoe and Lopez added 16 points apiece and George Hill 14 for the Bucks, who shot 7-for-25 on 3-point attempts (28 percent) as opposed to the Heat's 17-for-45 (37.8 percent).

Riding the momentum of their Game 1 win, the Heat bombed in five 3-pointers, including two by Olynyk, in the first quarter, building as much as an 11-point advantage.

The margin reached 13 in the second period before the Bucks scratched back.

--Field Level Media

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.