Jimmy Butler totaled 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and the fifth-seeded Miami Heat used stingy defense to knock the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks out of the playoffs with a 103-94 game five victory to win its Eastern Conference semifinal series 4-1 on Wednesday.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and favorite to repeat as league MVP, did not play, after aggravating his sprained right ankle in the first half of Monday's game four.
Miami awaits the winner of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between second-seeded Toronto and third-seeded Boston. The Celtics lead 3-2 ahead of Thursday's game six.
For the Bucks, it's a stunningly premature playoff exit after posting the NBA's best regular-season record. The Heat, meanwhile, became the 140th team in 140 tries to win an NBA playoff series after building a 3-0 lead.
Miami held the Bucks to 36.3 percent shooting, including a third-quarter drought that lasted more than six minutes. That's the stretch when the Heat created distance for good, with a three-pointer by Jae Crowder giving Miami a game-high 12-point lead (68-56) at the 3:07 mark of the period.
In the fourth quarter, the Bucks trimmed the Heat's advantage to 91-87 when Brook Lopez threw down an alley-oop dunk with 2:05 to play. But Butler answered with two free throws and Goran Dragic hit a high-arching jumper on the ensuing possession to maintain Miami's edge.
Another two free throws by Butler with 46.7 seconds to play extended the Heat's lead to 97-88 and all but sealed the win.
Rookie Tyler Herro finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Heat. Dragic added 17 points and four rebounds, while Crowder scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and made four 3-pointers.
Khris Middleton finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Donte DiVincenzo scored 17 points and hit three 3-pointers. Lopez recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds.
In the Western Conference LeBron James scored a team-high 36 points and became the all-time leader in NBA postseason wins, as the Los Angeles Lakers claimed a 112-102 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game three of their semifinals series.
The Lakers will take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 of the best-of-seven series on Friday.
Los Angeles' Anthony Davis added 26 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo keyed a fourth-quarter run after the teams entered the final period tied.
James earned his 162nd career playoff victory, topping the mark set by Derek Fisher.
"It says that I've played with a lot of great teams," James said postgame on TNT.
"It says that I've played with a lot of great teammates and some great coaches, in Cleveland, in Miami and now here in Los Angeles.
"It doesn't happen without the supporting cast. It's why I'm able to sit here with this achievement, but it's all about the three organizations I've been with, the Cavs, the Heat and now the Lakers, because without them, I wouldn't be in this position."
James scored 29 points in the first half, his season high for any half, to keep the Lakers afloat before dominating the action with four blocks in the third quarter.
Rondo, meanwhile, led the charge early in the fourth period by scoring the last eight points during a 10-0 run that produced a 94-85 advantage.
Rondo finished with 21 points and nine assists in 30 minutes off the bench.
Reuters/Newshub.
