In the NBA there have always been outstanding matchups, and it seems that the Miami Heat – Milwaukee Bucks is going to be one of them. In 2019, Miami misses out on the playoffs. In 2020, in the bubble, the Heat eliminated the Bucks (4-1) and reached the Finals, where they lost to LeBron’s Lakers. In 2021, the Bucks swept Miami in the first round. An exchange of blows between two franchises that now seems to continue off the track.
These were the words of Antetokounmpo, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic: “My seventh year ended against Miami. I don’t make excuses as an athlete, but it wasn’t a satisfying year for me because I felt that if it was a normal situation, it wouldn’t end like this. But at the end of the day, I felt like Miami was built to be an NBA bubble team.know?”
With these statements, the Greek star made it clear that history could have been different outside the bubble and with him physically well. These words have not sat very well in Miami, a team that played its best basketball in the bubble. Against the Bucks, Erik Spoelstra’s men took advantage of their opponent’s defensive weakness to punish with outside shots. In defense they were led by specialists such as Adebayo, Crowder and Iguodala who managed to annul Giannis. A collective and compensated game on both sides of the track that took them to the Finals, where they lost against the Lakers. Therefore, no credit can be taken away from them.
The Bucks remain a clear candidate for the title. For their part, the Heat, with Lowry this year in their ranks, are having a season of a clear contender for the ring. A new playoff confrontation between these two franchises would be quite a “show” after Giannis’s statements.
