Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat – NBA, September 4, 2020

Only a few people expected the Miami Heat to have a 2-0 lead after the opening two games of the Eastern Conference Round 2 series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Those people were likely the Heat players and head coach Erik Spoelstra, as even the die-hard fans have to be surprised by the current situation in this series. It’s clear; the Bucks need to get a win in Game 3 or this series will probably be over for them. The Game 3 tip-off is set at 6:30 PM ET.

These conference rivals have met five times this season, and the Heat are leading the series 4-1. Here is my Bucks vs. Heat betting pick.

The sportsbooks are not backing down from favoring the Bucks in this series, not even after a pair of Miami’s wins. The spread is now at -5 on the Bucks, while the total is set at 223.5, which is a bit higher than 221 in Game 2.

Over/Under is currently 1-1 following the first two games of the series, while the Heat covered the spread in both encounters.

Milwaukee failed to snatch a late victory in Game 2 even though they came close to tie it with just seconds to go. The Heat had a nine-point lead in the final cloud of minutes, but a silly foul by Goran Dragic sent Khris Middleton to the stripe, and KM hit all three free-throws to make it 114-114.

Then, the reigning MVP of the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo, committed an unnecessary foul on Jimmy Butler after the shot as the time expired. Jimmy Buckets made both shots from the line and Miami got away with a 116-114 victory.

Giannis led the Bucks with a double-double of 29 points and game-high 14 rebounds. Middleton followed him with 23 points, game-high eight assists, and six boards, Eric Bledsoe added 16 points and seven rebounds, while Brook Lopez also had 16 points and seven boards.

K-Midd turned in another 20-point performance in Game 2 with 23 points – his fourth straight game with 20+ points.

That's the second-longest 20-point scoring streak of his playoff career. pic.twitter.com/3MwyVxyg4M

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) September 3, 2020

Erik Spoelstra’s team controlled most of the game and had a double-digit lead on several occasions, but nearly dropped a win late in the game. Luckily, Jimmy Butler saved them with crucial free-throws, and the Heat deservedly won in the end.

Miami was inferior below the rim as Milwaukee recorded 12 more rebounds, but the Heat were better in assists (22-16) and committed only ten turnovers opposite the Bucks’ 14.

Goran Dragic led the Heat with 23 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Tyler Herro added 17 points, five boards, and four dimes, Jae Crowder posted 16 points, six rebounds, and a couple of thefts, Bam Adebayo had 15 points and team-high nine boards, while Jimmy Butler chipped in with 13 points, team-high six dishes, and game-high three steals.

One word to describe your emotions during this moment…

(? sound on) pic.twitter.com/gorTfyiMd2

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 3, 2020

Incredibly, the Heat are still undefeated in the playoffs. They swept the Indiana Pacers in Round 1, and now are leading 2-0 against Milwaukee. I think it’s time for the Bucks to finally snap that positive streak of Miami and get a win here, or this series will be way out of their hands.

I backed them to win Game 2 and lost, obviously, and now I am backing them again. After all, the Bucks are the regular-season champions and the team with the best record in the league. It’s time for them to prove that.