THE top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks are out of the playoffs, falling to the fifth seed Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals Tuesday.
Jimmy Butler scored 17 points, hauled 10 rebounds, and issued six assists to lead Miami past the Bucks, 103-94, and advance to the finals against either the Boston Celtics or the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics are ahead in their series 3-2 and could punch their ticket in Game 6 Wednesday.
The Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo who reinjured his ankle in Game 4.
Miami had a sloppy start, enabling the Bucks to lead by nine at the end of the first.
But the Heat revved up their engine in the second, and Miami pulled away in the third, building a 12-point lead, but the Bucks managed to trim the margin to four 91-87 with a little less than two minutes left in the fourth period. However, Miami answered back and went on to win.
Goran Dragic also had 17 points, Jae Crowder scored 16, and rookie Tyler Herro chipped in 14 for the Heat.
Khris Middleton had 23 points, Donte DiVincenzo had 17, and Brook Lopez added 15 for the Bucks.
Miami used tight defense to win over the Bucks, holding them to 36.3 percent shooting.
The Bucks came into the playoffs with high hopes, and was touted to make the NBA Finals after having the best regular season record.
Milwaukee has lost to underdogs in two postseasons in a row – Toronto and Miami. The team is expected to offer Giannis a contract extension in the offseason, and will not trade him if he declines, a report said.
HOUSTON DOWN 2-1
The Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 112-102 and take a 2-1 lead in their second round Western Conference playoff series.
Game 3 was close until the fourth quarter when Rajon Rondo scored eight points in a 10-0 run to put Los Angeles on top for good.
LeBron James scored 36 points, Anthony Davis had 26, Rondo had 21, and Kyle Kuzma added 14. James Harden led Houston with 33 points while Russell Westbrook added 30.
The victory gave LeBron his NBA record 162nd playoff victory, surpassing former Lakers guard Derek Fisher who had 161.
GIANNIS NAMED TO ALL DEFENSIVE SQUAD
Giannis had a consolation following their second round exit when he was named to the NBA All Defensive First Team.
The 2019-2020 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year joins LA Lakers’ Anthony Davis; Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons; Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz; and Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart.
The All Defensive Second Team was also named. In it are LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard; Bucks center Brook Lopez; Miami Heat’s BaAdebayo; Clippers’ Patrick Beverly, and Giannis’ teammate Eric Bledsoe.
Antetokounmpo led the voting, receiving 97 first team votes and earned 195 total votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.
Giannis, who has been linked to several teams in free agency, has been selected to his second straight NBA All Defensive First Team.
The selection of Giannis, Lopez, and Bledsoe makes the Bucks the first team since the Memphis Grizzlies – Tony Allen, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley – in 2013 to have three players in the NBA All Defensive Team.
Voting was conducted based on regular season games played through March 11. Seeding games as part of the bubble did not count.
THUNDER COACH DONOVAN OUT
Coach Billy Donovan and the Oklahoma City Thunder have parted ways.
Donovan left after General Manager Sam Presti could not assure the future of the team.
Donovan led the Thunder to the playoffs every year. He was at end of his contract when he left.
He had a 243-157 record with Oklahoma, who had been expected as a lottery team following the trade that brought Russel Westbrook to the Houston Rockets.
Oklahoma outperformed expectations, making the playoffs and pushing the Rockets to seven games in the first round.
Donovan and the Thunder said the parting of ways was a mutual decision.
He could land a job elsewhere in the NBA as there are several head coaching spots available. (Compiled by Tristan Lozano)