Bucks ride a hot fourth quarter en route to a comeback victory
In a fantastic finish down the stretch that saw a dramatic lead change, the Milwaukee Bucks came from behind and took down the Miami Heat, 116-111. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.
What Did We Learn?
For yet another game, Kevin Porter Jr. was able to make quite the impact off the bench. Last night, he came in and flipped the script for the Bucks, helping fuel a 12-0 run that gave Milwaukee a lead they wouldn’t let go. All in all, Scoot finished with 11 points on 4/7 shooting. The turning point of the game was in the beginning of the fourth. Up until that point, the Bucks just seemed to be unable to match the potency of Miami’s offense. Doc also thought that the Heat were the more physical team in the first half, which helped them pad their lead. In addition to the offense he brought, Doc praised his defensive efforts as well. KPJ has now scored double-figures in a season-high four consecutive games.
Three Observations
Doc felt that the Bucks gave Tyler Herro too much space.
Tyler Herro was feeling it all night long. He exploded for a game-high 40 points and went 12/27 shooting with several threes. It truly seemed as if he was able to get whatever shot he wanted at times and postgame, Doc seemed to agree.
“I thought we gave him too much space. And we talked about it at halftime. You gotta get into his airspace and make him uncomfortable. You know, if you remember in the first half, I don’t think you can remember one time him bringing the ball up and anyone turning him. Just kind of brought it up — free. I mean, he had a free game until the mid-third.
Doc then switched to discussing the job Kyle Kuzma did on the defensive side of the ball on Herro, praising him for his efforts. On what Kuz was able to do to make it tough for Herro:
“His length. You know, twice he pump faked and couldn’t get it up, had to pass it. The two things he did was he stayed in front of the ball square and then he didn’t bite.”
That effort from Kuzma was particularly encouraging to see, especially based off what he was doing from the offensive side of the coin. He’d finish with 16 points eventually, but was struggling to get much traction going in the first half. The fact that he was able to contribute defensively on a talent like Herro was something that truly helped Milwaukee get the win.
Brook Lopez continues to bring consistency on offense.
It wasn’t a pretty 17 points, but yet again, Lopez finished in double-figures. He wouldn’t get the wheels turning until a little later in the game, but regardless, he made his presence felt and helped the Bucks secure victory with it. His final stat line would read 6/11 from the field with two threes, resulting in 17 points. He’s now scored at least 10+ points in four consecutive games and eight of his last nine overall. He’s now averaging 14.9 points per game over his last nine games and he’s shot at least 50% from the field in his last five games.
Damian Lillard continues to do Damian Lillard things.
Dame led the Bucks in scoring, rattling off 28 points on 9/17 shooting. He’d sink five threes on the night, including one from the F in the Forum portion of the Fiserv Forum decal. This marks his fifth 20-point performance in his last six games. He wasn’t just scoring the basketball, either. He facilitated eight assists. He’s now dished out 5+ assists in 12 straight games, which is the fourth-longest active streak in the NBA this season and ties the ninth-longest such streak of his career.
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Andre Jackson got four seconds of action in this one and finished with a -1 RPM. Oof.
- Is it time for Doc to change the starting lineup? Taurean Prince got the start in this one, being paired alongside Giannis, Kuzma, Lopez, and Dame. However, he failed to do much of anything offensively and seemed to struggle defensively. There are options for Doc if he does decide to try something…maybe AJ Green or Gary Trent Jr.?
- Kel’el Ware is going to be very special for the Heat. He posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards. He’s now tied for the third-most double-doubles among rookies this season with seven and he’s one of just five first-year players with 5+ double-doubles.
- Giannis scored 23 points and hauled in 16 boards. That marks his seventh game of the season with 20+ points and 15+ rebounds (6th in the NBA). He also didn’t attempt a single free throw, marking just his sixth career game scoring 20+ points without a FTA and his first such game since Feb. 13, 2024, which, oddly enough, was also against the Heat.
- Gary Trent Jr. was also massive off the bench. He shot 60% (3/5) from the perimeter. He’s now scratched 15+ points 12 times this season. He’s also now shot 60% or better from the field in 17 games this season, which ranks third in the NBA behind his teammate Taurean Prince (18) and Nikola Jokic (18).
Up Next
The Bucks are now off until Tuesday, which is when they’ll head to Space City and take on the Houston Rockets. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST. Catch the action on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin or stream it on our Playback and YouTube channels.
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