Bucks Fall to +108 Underdogs in Series vs Heat After Falling Behind 2-0 Following 116-114 Game 2 Loss

• The Miami Heat have won the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal and lead the Milwaukee Bucks 2-0
• The Bucks allowed just 108.6 points per game in the regular season but are allowing 115.5 points per game in this series.
• Is Milwaukee worth betting at odds of +108 to storm back and win the series?

The Milwaukee Bucks have lost the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal with the Miami Heat and now a lot of people are wondering if they’ll survive the round.

The team that entered the bubble as the favorite to win the Eastern Conference is in trouble. They’re an underdog in the series now at +108 – but are they worth a play to come back and win?

Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks Series Odds

Odds as of September 2nd

Bucks Fall to Heat In Wacky Game 2

A lot of people were expecting the Bucks to throw their best punch in Game 2 – especially after being dominated in Game 1 by Jimmy Butler – but that never transpired. If that was their best punch, they have to be concerned.

The Bucks were never in control of the game and if anything, they were fighting uphill all night long.

Milwaukee finished eighth in the NBA in opponent points per game allowed at 108.6, but started slow again allowing the Heat to score 38 points in the first quarter.

Miami has a very balanced team with every player a scoring threat, and the Bucks can’t seem to figure out how to stop them.

Jimmy Butler pulls the chair on Giannis and pushes him back down when he tried to get up. 😂pic.twitter.com/O6QXaMKb9H

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 2, 2020

In Game 2, Butler was mostly quiet with just 13 points scored, and he only had one shot in the second half until late in the game.

However, he did hit a couple of clutch free throws with the game on the line to secure the win for the Heat.

Questionable Fouls Lead to Wild Ending

The Bucks really shouldn’t have been in the game late, but the Heat botched a late lead, which included the apparent fouling of Khris Middleton from behind the three-point line with just 4.3 seconds to go.

Middleton stepped up and hit all three free throws.

The refs seemingly had a makeup call at the other end when Butler was fouled (was he fouled, though?) with the clock at zeroes. Butler stepped to the free throw line and hit both to secure the Heat’s win.

Have to imagine Jimmy Butler may never walk again after this vicious foul by Giannis pic.twitter.com/yAUXzND5K9

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 3, 2020

The Bucks did a great job of hanging tough, but the fact that they trailed by six with 19.8 seconds to go and by nine with 1:45 to go shows that they weren’t really in this. They needed some help from the Heat and the refs down the stretch to make this a game.

Giannis Not Playing at MVP Level

For a second straight postseason, a lot of people are asking questions of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Maybe it’s somewhat unfair considering he finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and a block, but he doesn’t seem to elevate the team around him like other MVP-caliber players.

Twitter told me Giannis was a top five player but can’t get by goran dragic and Tyler herro lmaoo pic.twitter.com/8XXfjcGKNz

— john (@iam_johnw) September 3, 2020

The Heat are a strong defensive team and they’re doing their best to keep Giannis from driving, and that’s putting a stick in the spokes of this offense. If he can’t break down opponents, there isn’t really anyone else in the lineup that can. That’s why Milwaukee is laboring offensively – especially in crunch time.

Can the Bucks Come Back?

The Bucks simply don’t have answers right now and time is running out quickly. I didn’t see enough flashes out of them to confidently say that they’re capable of winning. I expected them to come out of the gates in the first quarter like they were shot out of a cannon but instead, they were trailing by nine at the end of the first.

At this point, I’d consider betting the Heat. It doesn’t look like they’ll lose this series.