Middleton ices the Heat
Khris Middleton broke a tie with a jumper with 0.5 seconds left in overtime and had 27 points to help the Bucks beat the Heat 109-107 Saturday in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
Middleton was closely guarded by Duncan Robinson on the 19-footer.
The Heat’s Goran Dragic had tied it with a corner 3-pointer with 20.6 seconds left in OT. After Middleton’s shot, Jrue Holiday blocked a 3-point attempt from Jimmy Butler as the buzzer sounded. Game 2 is Monday night in Milwaukee. The Heat beat the Bucks 4-1 in the second round last year and went on to reach the NBA Finals.
Butler forced overtime by making a buzzer-beating driving layup past Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose free-throw woes prevented the Bucks from putting the game away earlier.
Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, but was just 6 of 13 on free-throw attempts. Over the last 1:06 of regulation, Antetokounmpo was 2 of 5 from the line and had a 10-second violation that prevented him from getting another free-throw attempt.
Holiday had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who won despite shooting 5 of 31 from 3-point range. They’d never made below seven 3-pointers in a game during the regular season.
Dragic scored 25 points, Robinson had 24 and Butler added 17 for the Heat. Butler also had 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Bucks took a 98-97 with 34.3 seconds left in regulation when Antetokounmpo made the second of two free throws after getting fouled on a shot attempt. Antetokounmpo knocked the ball loose from Butler to force a jump ball, got the ball when Brook Lopez won the tip and got fouled again with nine seconds left.
This time, Antetokounmpo made the first but missed the second. Trevor Ariza got the rebound and the Heat called a timeout with eight seconds remaining.
Dragic inbounded the ball to Butler, who took his time before driving to the basket and making a layup that rolled in as the buzzer sounded.
Donic leads Mavs: Luka Doncic scored 31 points and the Mavericks outshot the NBA’s leading team from 3-point range, beating the Clippers 113-102 on Saturday in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points and Dorian Finney-Smith had 18 for the Mavs, who led most of the game. Doncic and Hardaway Jr. made five 3-pointers each, and Finney-Smith had four to help Dallas shoot 47% from long-range.
Kawhi Leonard had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, and Paul George added 23 points. But they were a combined 3 of 14 on 3-pointers and the Clippers shot 31% after leading the NBA at 41% during the regular season. Marcus Morris missed all six of his 3-point attempts.
Game 2 is Tuesday night at Staples Center.
The Clippers didn’t make more than three 3-pointers in a quarter until the fourth, when they hit four. The Mavs controlled the closing minutes, stretching a three-point lead into 10. The Clippers were limited to one field goal in the final minutes.