Dwyane Wade came up clutch to help the Miami Heat earn their fourth straight win as they used solid defense and a balanced attack to defeat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 94-87 on Saturday night.
Wade poured in six points in the final two minutes to help close out the win. The Heat forced the Bucks into 16 turnovers and held them to 9-of-43 shooting from long range, limiting the league's highest scoring offense to a season low in points.
Wade totaled 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in 27 minutes off the bench while Josh Richardson finished with a team-high 16 points to go with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a rough night as he finished the first half with a season-low three points and went 0 of 7 from the field before finally scoring his first field goal in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo finished with nine points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
The defeat snapped a four-game winning streak for the Bucks.
The Bucks got out to a very rough start on the road as they went 3 of 17 from the field, including 0 of 12 from long range, to start the game.
The Heat held the visitors to eight points in the first quarter, which marked a season low for Milwaukee. However, the Bucks outscored the Heat by 14 in the second quarter to snatch a one-point lead by halftime, 38-37.
The Heat reclaimed the momentum in the third, using a flurry of threes to build an 11-point lead halfway through the quarter. They continued to press and outscored the Bucks 35-20 in the quarter to take a 14-point lead into the fourth.
The Bucks made a run late in the fourth and cut the deficit to just one point at 82-81 with 2:42 remaining. However, the Heat continued to make them pay for their mistakes by scoring off turnovers and shooting well from the foul line to keep the edge and secure the win.
The Heat will be looking for their fifth straight win as they take on the Magic in Orlando on Sunday.
The Bucks head to New York to take on the Knicks on Christmas Day.
--Field Level Media
Milwaukee | Miami | |
Khris Middleton 18 | Scoring | Josh Richardson 16 |
Eric Bledsoe 6 | Assists | Justise Winslow 5 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo 13 | Rebounds | Hassan Whiteside 13 |
Eric Bledsoe 9 | Free Throws Made | Dwyane Wade 5 |
Brook Lopez 2 | Steals | James Johnson 2 |
Brook Lopez 3 | Blocks | James Johnson 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Milwaukee | 87 | 36.9 | 9-43 | 16-22 | 20 | 48 | 9 | 6 | 16 |
Miami | 94 | 38.2 | 10-32 | 16-23 | 22 | 57 | 3 | 9 | 12 |