Miami, carried by 40 points from Jimmy Butler, surprised Milwaukee (115-104) to remove the first game of their Eastern Conference semi-final, on the night of Monday to Tuesday. For its part, on behalf of the first round, Oklahoma City snatched a seventh game against Houston (104-100).
The longest favorite in the East surprised at the start. Still, all had started well for Milwauckee. From the first minutes, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s superb counter on Butler, who tried the two-handed dunk, resembled a message sent by the “Greek Freak”, named last week as the best defender of the season. And the score at the end of the first quarter (40-29) testified to the superiority of the Bucks.
It didn’t last long and it was Butler who had the last word on Giannis. The Heat winger took offensively (15 points in the last quarter) to guide his team to a deserved victory, also showing solidity in the money time, where it has not always managed to hold its promises this season.
“I told my guys I probably won’t pass the ball. I got in a few shots and they said ‘we’re fine’,” smiled the evening hero. “I raised my level of play in the 4th quarter. If it’s going to come out in every game, I’ll have to do it. But we have so many guys who can do that for us …”
Opposite, Antetokounmpo did not have his usual offensive contribution, although having flirted with the triple-double (18 pts, 10 rebounds, 9 assists), because no centimeter was given to him for free by the Florida defense. Above all, he showed awkwardness on free throws (4/12) which also explains the gap in the score.
Thunder push Harden and Westbrook in Game 7
The Lakers will have to wait until Wednesday to know their rival in the semi-finals in the West. In a stifling end to the game, OKC stayed alive in this series, relying on their Chris Paul / Danilo Gallinari duo and … Russell Westbrook’s horrendous final 40 seconds opposite.
At 100 everywhere, the latter, however lonely, first sent an “air ball”. On the next possession, 12 seconds to go, after Paul made two free throws, the Rockets point guard committed his 7th loss of the ball, a pass that found no one. What he did wrong, to offer Gallinari to close the deal, always on free throws.
Until then, he had not been unworthy (17 pts) for his second match after a thigh injury. But without weighing on the events, if not at the expense of his family and James Harden (32 pts, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) very complete. Opposite, Paul was a leader constantly motivating his people on every occasion and determining, with his 28 points (7 rebounds, 7 assists). Gallinari was also important in keeping his team in the race with important baskets behind the arc (25 pts). From now on, all these little people will meet on the night of Wednesday 2 to Thursday 3 September for a cleaver match.
