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The Milwaukee Bucks have taken a 3-0 lead in their series with the Miami Heat, who have their backs against the wall. It’s do-or-die time for Miami and Jimmy Butler; another loss bounces them out of the playoffs.
This is a drastically different experience in comparison to last year, but considering how good this team was in 2020, there should still be some hope the Heat make a comeback.
An NBA team has never come back from being down 3-0 in a series. The Heat will have to go on a historic run if they hope to make it out of the first round. It would be one of the greatest stories in sports, as not only would the comeback be historic, but it’d be a massive upset in the postseason as well.
A few things need to change before that happens though. Jimmy Butler needs to get back to his 2020 version and take control of the series. Without him, Miami’s chances are slim. Additionally, the three-point shooting has disappeared. This squad typically scores at will from deep, but the lack of scoring from there has hurt the Heat.
Lastly, Miami has to gain more rebounds. They’re letting the Bucks do whatever they want in the post, and that has to change immediately. With that said, here are three ways the Heat can make a historic comeback versus the Bucks.
Jimmy Butler catches fire for the Heat
We haven’t really seen Jimmy Butler perform like he did in 2020, which doesn’t bode well for Miami’s success this postseason. He’s the superstar player on the roster and the team leans on him when things don’t go their way. Although he did lead the team in points on Thursday night, he has to step up and do more for his squad if they hope to come back.
His best bet is to get more aggressive with the ball. He should be driving it to the rack and trying to put Milwaukee into foul trouble. Butler could also make a big-time defense play that creates energy for the team. Just come alive Jimmy! The Heat need you.
Vastly improved 3-point shooting
Jimmy Butler’s supporting cast has vanished in this playoff series as well. We usually see Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro light it up for three, but they haven’t played like their usual selves. The Heat shot 9/32 (28.1%) in Game 3, which is unacceptable for this team.
The Heat have gone cold from beyond the arc and it’s completely taken them out of the series. For this team to get back into, the shooters have to start hitting their shots. If they can do that, then Miami’s flame hasn’t gone out quite yet.
Get aggressive on the boards
The Bucks have out-rebounded the Heat in each game so far and it’s killing Miami every night. The Bucks are an amazing rebounding team, so it was expected they had the advantage at the beginning of the postseason. However, it’s been completely one-sided and things need to change fast.
Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler led the team in rebounds with 8 each. Outside of those two, Trevor Ariza ended with the second most with just 6. Antetokounmpo had 17 rebounds by himself, which proves how much more dominant the Bucks have been on the glass. Fighting for the ball should be at the top of the priority list for the Heat, as it’s a great way for the team to earn extra possessions.
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