The Milwaukee Bucks locked in to post their best defensive rating of the young season, but couldn’t get their offence to hum at the same time against the Miami Heat, losing 106-103 in South Beach. Tyler
Herro dominated the Bucks with 29 points on 60% shooting, plus seven assists to boot. The Heat now leads the season series 1-0. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.
Player Grades
Ryan Rollins
41 minutes, 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 11/24 FG, 4/14 3P, +6
Rollins started slow, going 3/8 and 1/5 from three in the first quarter, but he picked it up after that, as he has done in the past few games. This definitely wasn’t one of Ryan’s better games, and the turnovers need to come down. That said, Ryan is being relied on to do a lot for the Bucks, along with being at the top of the opponent’s scouting report.
Grade: B
Myles Turner
31 minutes, 24 points, 8 rebounds, 9/15 FG, 1/5 3P, +11
I loved Turner’s game last night. He is so much better in a fast-paced system where the team is decisive in what action to flow into next. I liked the way he punished the Heat’s switching defence inside and had no hesitation from three, even though it didn’t always go in. Process > results.
Grade: A-
Kyle Kuzma
29 minutes, 8 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 4/11 FG, +1
Not sure if Kuz is still dealing with the aftereffects of being sick, but he hasn’t had it from a shooting standpoint of late. That said, he is impacting in other ways, and his ability to “know how to play basketball” generally transfers, whether he is making shots or not.
Grade: C+
Bobby Portis
20 minutes, 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4/14 FG, 0/3 3P, –7
I actually didn’t mind Bobby’s process last night; I thought his decisions were quick and decisive. It just was not his night from a shooting standpoint. As we know, when BP doesnt make shots, it’s tough for him to be a plus out there.
Grade: C
AJ Green
36 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 4/6 FG, 4/6 3P, +5
I thought AJ was pretty damn solid last night. I loved the aggressiveness with which he was coming off DHOs and screening actions, forcing the big to step up and allowing him to find the roller or an open teammate after the roller was tagged. According to the always trustworthy Google AI, this was the first NBA game where Green had recorded eight assists. However, he still needs to limit the silly fouls and improve his defensive awareness.
Grade: B+
Gary Trent Jr.
34 minutes, 15 points, 2 assists, 5/14 FG, 5/12 3P, +10
Even though the stat line doesn’t look overly great for Trent, I liked the shot distribution. If he’s going to shoot 15 times, make most of them threes (and it felt like most were good shots). I also loved how he stayed confident in his shot and nailed a few crucial ones at the end.
Grade: B+
Cole Anthony
11 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 0/7 FG, 0/2 3P, -10
I guess it was back to regular scheduled programming for Cole after his first solid game in a while on Monday. As you’ll see in the next segment, it doesn’t sound like Doc is considering removing Anthony from the rotation, which befuddles me.
Grade: F
Jericho Sims
16 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2/2 FG, -14
Another quiet game from Sims. That said, I didnt think he played badly, even though his plus/minus is not flattering.
Grade: C
Gary Harris
18 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds, 1/2 FG, -17
The only guy with a worse plus/minus than Jericho was Gary Harris. But again, I didn’t think he played all that poorly either. Thought Harris had some good defensive possessions.
Grade: C
Doc Rivers
Doc coached a solid game, evident from the first tip when the team was very crisp in its sets. I also liked him not calling a timeout on the last play, which would have allowed the Heat to set their defence; Myles Turner got a good look that just rimmed out.
Grade: B
DNP-CD Andre Jackson Jr., Mark Sears, Amir Coffey, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance
Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Alex Antetokounmpo
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Doc admitted that Cole Anthony is “struggling” and that the coaching staff has to help him through it. “The Kid can play. We’ve just got to keep believing in him,” said Rivers.
- Doc said Giannis wanted to play, but he and the medical staff convinced him not to.
- Among other key areas, the Bucks keep getting beaten at the free throw game; the Heat shot 20 to the Bucks’ 14 in a game they lost by three.
- I said this on Deer Diaries, but the team really is playing so hard, and it sucks for them not to be able to get a W in these non-Giannis games.
Up Next
The Bucks now travel to New York to face the Knicks on Friday night at MSG. Watch the game at 6:30 p.m. Central on Prime Video.
