By Kevin Perez
On Wednesday night, the Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs 4-1, pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NBA postseason history. The gentleman sweep marked the sixth time in NBA history that a No. 8 seed beat the No. 1 seed and the first time in over a decade.
In the last four seasons, both teams have faced each other three times in the playoffs. In 2020, the Heat beat the Bucks 4-1 in the bubble and in 2021, the Bucks got their revenge and beat the Heat in the first round.
This time around, the Bucks were heavily favored once again, but that did not matter. Milwaukee finished with the best record in the NBA at 56-17 while the Heat snagged the eighth seed after defeating the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In-Tournament.
Coming into the playoffs, the Heat held the league’s 25th best offense and had the fourth worst three point shooting percentage. Now, in the playoffs, the Heat hold the best offensive rating and three point shooting percentage so far.
Elite offensive play led by Jimmy Butler allowed the Heat to mount an improbable upset. Butler averaged 37.6 points per game (PPG) on an average of 59.7% shooting from the field and 44.4% from the three-point-line including a 56-point outing in Game 4 followed by a 42-point performance to close the series out in Game 5.
Come playoff time every year, Butler elevates his play and shows he is one of the best players in the league, earning him the nickname “Playoff Jimmy.”
Milwaukee was no easy task, the Bucks are one of the best defensive teams in the league led by two time MVP Giannis Anteteounkpo, DPOY finalist Brook Lopez, and Jrue Holiday, one of the league’s best perimeter defenders.
For Butler, who he was going against did not seem to matter. He attacked any matchup the Bucks gave him and made them pay from anywhere on the court.
Down six with more than two minutes remaining in Game 5, Butler hit an and one layup and stared Jrue Holiday down and said “I own you.” When Playoff Jimmy is in the groove, there is almost no way to stop him.
Butler’s performance in the series brought out the best of his supporting cast who stepped up in the biggest moments. Bam Adebayo played with a strained hamstring, limiting his mobility for most of the series, but his defensive play was still impactful. In Game 5, Bam posted a triple double, including a series of stops on the defensive end and elite playmaking on offense down the stretch.
The entire rotation, all the way to Cody Zeller, made key plays that pushed Miami over the edge to beat the Bucks. Caleb Martin was the best player off the bench averaging 11.2 PPG on an average of 63.3% shooting from the field and 43.8% from the three point line, including a series of “clutch plays” down the stretch in Game 4.
The Heat lost Tyler Herro, who suffered a broken hand in game 1 and Victor Oladipo, who suffered a torn patellar in his left knee in game 3. If Miami wants to continue their early postseason success, their bench’s ability to play at a high level will be essential.
The Miami Heat are set to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Game 1 is set for Sunday at 1PM EST at Madison Square Garden.
