Milwaukee Bucks' dominance surged in the fourth quarter, fueled by explosive offense, as the Miami Heat's late-game execution faltered.
After entering Tuesday's matchup riding a three-game winning streak, the Miami Heat suffered a 128–117 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Despite tons of back and forth, the fourth quarter was when it got lopsided.
Despite being without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, others stepped up.
Key takeaways from the game:
Heat; Off night for "Boy Wonder:" Despite a hometown reunion scenario, Tyler Herro wasn't comfortable offensively. He finished with 14 points on 29.4 percent shooting, two rebounds, six assists, and a block in 26 minutes off the bench.
After missing significant time, Herro is still getting more comfortable returning to game action. However, with 23 games left on the regular season schedule, the chance to potentially get out of the Play-In Tournmanet get slimmer.
Herro's offense will be needed for the Heat to carve out a strong finish.
Bucks; Hot hands: Kevin Porter Jr. finished with an explosive performance. He tied a season-high with 32 points, including a couple of three-pointers made, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block in 37 minutes. He led the Bucks to spark a 20-6 run in the fourth quarter to blow away with the win.
Also, veteran forward Bobby Portis ignited for 21 points, including tying a season-high with five three-pointers made, two rebounds, and an assist in 24 minutes off the bench. The 31-year-old nearly outscored the Heat's reserves.
Ryan Rollins is in the midst of a breakout season, averaging career highs across the stat sheet. He finished Tuesday's game with 21 points on 56.3 percent shooting, four rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block in 37 minutes.
Heat; Lack of late execution: Despite winning in multiple categories, such as rebounding, free throws, assists, blocks, and points off turnovers, the Heat's cold offense in the fourth quarter was the final nail in the coffin. The team went the final six minutes of regulation without a made field goal, which allowed the Bucks to pull away drastically.
The Heat were outscored 39–24 in the fourth quarter.
The team's record falls to 31-28, eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. On the same night, the Orlando Magic secured a 110–109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, who are seventh.
The Heat's opportunities to catch a rhythm as a unit are limited, especially with Herro returning to the mix very late. The defense is a concerning aspect of the team, especially after the trade deadline. Outside of Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and Davion Mitchell, they don't have many lockdown defenders.
They will travel to the Northeast to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
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