Photo via Heat.com
Once again, both the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks were shorthanded. This time it was an early 1pm start for both teams. It was the Gabe Vincent show again, as Victor Oladipo got going in the fourth quarter. Miami had the lead throughout the whole game. Milwaukee made it interesting in the third quarter when they cut Miami’s double-digit lead in the third quarter. However, Miami blew the game away in the fourth period to seal the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 24-20 for the season. Here’s my takeaways from Saturday’s win over Milwaukee.
Vincent Leads the Way
Vincent really loves playing the Bucks. After scoring a career-high 28 points on Thursday, Vincent was scorching the Bucks again. Vincent had 21 points in the first half. He kept manipulating the Bucks defense in the pick and roll action. In the pick and roll action, Vincent was pin the Bucks’ defenders on his back before hitting his floater and step back jumpers. Most importantly, he was hitting his shots from beyond the arc. He hit a fadeaway three-pointer right in front of the Bucks bench. Vincent really had it going on Sunday. He finished the day with 27 points and five steals.
Oladipo’s 4th Quarter Takeover
It was the Vincent show in the first half, but in the second half it was Oladipo. Oladipo had a rough start in the first period. He was very loose with his ballhandling and got some early turnovers. When he’s the sole ball hander in the lineup, he often struggles. But when you put him alongside an extra ball handler, he tends to do well. And that was the case with Vincent. Oladipo really started to make his impact in the fourth period. In the first two minutes of the fourth period, Oladipo scored seven points. He was able to get to basket and get a couple of steals on the defensive end. His energy in the fourth quarter really changed the momentum of the game. Oladipo finished the game with 20 points.
Bam’s Uneven Start
Bam Adebayo scored 24 points against the Bucks. He was killing the Bucks drop coverages with his midrange game. But, in the second game against the Bucks, he started off slow. The shots were not falling, and he got into foul trouble early in the game. Additionally, he was unable to get calls on the other end even though there was contact. Still, it was encouraging to see Adebayo continue to attack the basket. In the past, he would be reluctant to shoot and sometimes even look at the basket. With the Heat guards playing well, it opened up the lane for Adebayo for easy buckets. He finished the day with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks.
Robinson ahead of Dedmon
After serving his one game suspension on Thursday, Dewayne Dedmon was back with the Heat on the bench. But he didn’t play. The Heat kept Orlando Robinson as the primary back up big on Sunday. Robinson was able to provide solid minutes once again. He kept fighting on the boards, especially on the offensive end. Miami was able to get multiple second chance opportunities because of his activity on the glass. He’s still raw in some areas but he’s been solid enough to play ahead of Dedmon. Robinson has been really making the most of his opportunities. He didn’t score many points but overall, it was a promising day for him. Robinson finished with four points and eight rebounds.
Next up: The Atlanta Hawks. Game tips off at 3:30pm eastern time.
