The Miami HEAT defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 106-101 Wednesday night at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Hassan Whiteside led the way for the HEAT with 27 points.
1. Whiteside Dominates
Simply put, Milwaukee had no answer for Hassan Whiteside on Wednesday night, as the big fella was an absolute beast on both ends of the floor.
While Whiteside had a fantastic first quarter, which included these two quick blocks on John Henson on back-to-back possessions…
…and then this tough and-one drive a little later…
…he totaled 11 points in the third quarter to keep Miami within striking distance of the Bucks. Throughout the flurry, Whiteside wisely utilized his strength advantage against Henson and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
All that said, perhaps nothing was more important than this clutch block on the Greek Freak late in the fourth:
In addition to his team-high 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting, Whiteside also led the HEAT with 13 rebounds and six blocks.
2. KO Goes Off In The Fourth
After a quiet three quarters, Kelly Olynyk made his presence felt in a big way late in the contest. Time and time again in the fourth, the 7-footer made the Bucks look foolish with his crafty ball-handling skills and nifty fakes.
For a perfect example of that, just check out this play:
Thanks to sequences like that, Olynyk scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.
3. Winslow Makes Winning Plays Late
Although the numbers won’t jump off the page, Justise Winslow played a major role in Miami coming out with the win. In addition to initiating offense and guarding multiple guys, including Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Sterling Brown, Winslow also knocked down a huge three in crunch time.
When it was all said and done, the 21-year-old tallied six points and three assists.
Other Takeaways:
-Wayne Ellington naturally led the team with three made treys, but that wasn’t the best part of his night.
Not by a long shot.
How does a no-look pass to Bam Adebayo sound?
Ellington finished with 11 points, five boards and four assists.
-While Josh Richardson kept at it with his usual catch-and-shoot threes and pull-up mid-range jumpers, his defense on Middleton, Bledsoe and even Antetokounmpo at times was just as vital. As such, the former Tennessee Volunteer notched a team-high plus-22 rating to go along with his 14 points, six boards, three assists and two steals.
Game Note:
-Tyler Johnson (left ankle sprain), Dion Waiters (left ankle sprain), Okaro White (left foot surgery), Rodney McGruder (left tibia surgery) and A.J. Hammons (Sioux Falls assignment) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will continue their road trip in Brooklyn on Friday against the Nets at 7:30 PM. Miami won’t be in action at AmericanAirlines Arena until Jan. 25 at 7:30 against the Kings. Tickets for that game can be found here.