Bucks on the ropes, Heat look to finish historic sweep

Teams as good as Milwaukee Bucks never get swept in NBA playoffs. That may change Sunday.

Milwaukee is on brink of elimination, trailing Miami Heat 3-0 in ir Eastern Conference semifinal series. Heat can close it out — and make a little history — when y look to finish off a second consecutive sweep in se playoffs.

“ job ain’t done yet,” Miami’s Jimmy Butler said.

Bucks are . 1 seed in East; . 1 seed in Western Conference, Los Angeles Lakers, also is in a bit of trouble — though facing a situation that is where near as dire as mess Milwaukee is in right w. Lakers dropped Game 1 of ir West semifinal series to Houston 112-97 on Friday, with Game 2 set for Sunday night.

“It’s only one game. ... Got to get rey for Game 2,” Rockets guard James Harden said. “We’ll have to be even better in Game 2.”

Bucks have to be better in Game 4, or else.

y h Game 3 in ir hands Friday, leing by 14 in third quarter and by 12 at start of fourth quarter. And n Butler happened: He h 17 points in fourth, Heat outscored Bucks 40-13 in period and Miami won 115-100 to take 3-0 le.

Before Friday, teams down by exactly 12 points going into fourth quarter of a game this season h lost 39 out of 43 times, or 91%. In playoffs, teams leing by 12 or more points after three quarters h been 131-1 since April 2016.

But Bucks couldn’t finish and w are in 0-3 hole, out of which NBA team has successfully climbed.

“Might as well make history while you’re doing it, cap off a great season here,” Bucks guard George Hill said. “It’s first time in history of NBA we’re playing in a bubble. First time that a team can come back down from 3-0. We’ve got to trust each or, continue to believe. season’s t over.”

Bucks were 56-17 in regular season, which translates to a .767 winning percent — 37th best for a single season in NBA history. Some of 36 teams ahe of m on that list lost in first round of playoffs, but ne got swept.

team with best record that saw its playoff run end in a sweep was 1948-49 Rochester Royals, back before shot clock and even before NBA was a thing — it was called BAA n. y lost 2-0 to Minneapolis Lakers in division finals.

Royals were 45-15 (.750) that year. teams with best records that got swept in a best-of-seven series were 1997-98 Los Angeles Lakers and 2016-17 San Antonio Spurs — both 61-21 (.744). Each got swept in West finals, Lakers by Utah, Spurs by Golden State.

If Bucks don’t win Sunday, y’ll get a title y didn’t want — best team, record-wise anyway, to be swept.

“You’ve got to dig deep,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “You’ve got to lean on your character, lean on your competitiveness, just get focused on getting one game, get Game 4. That’s where our mindset’s got to be.”

A look at Sunday’s games:

BUCKS VS. HEAT

Miami les 3-0. Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC.

— NEED TO KW: Heat are trying to become 11th team to start a postseason 8-0 and first . 5 seed to sweep a . 1 seed. y could also become lowest-seeded team in Eastern Conference finals since eighth-seeded New York got re in 1999.

— KEEP AN EYE ON: Miami’s Duncan Robinson is 7 for his last 29 from 3-point range. Heat are winning and ir best shooter this season is in far from his best form. If he gets going again, look out.

— INJURY WATCH: Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo insisted his right ankle (tweaked in first quarter Friday) didn’t bor him, though he grimaced multiple times in game. Miami’s Kelly Olynyk missed Game 3 with a bruised knee.

— PRESSURE IS ON: Every member of Bucks or than Antetokounmpo. A sweep could be catastrophic to Milwaukee’s long-term hopes of keeping MVP around for years to come.

ROCKETS VS. LAKERS

Houston les 1-0. Game 2, 8:30 p.m., ABC.

— NEED TO KW: LeBron James h been part of 15 consecutive conference semifinal game wins before Friday night, but he’s certainly t going to get thrown by a Game 1 loss. This is 47th postseason series of his career; his teams are only 27-20 in Game 1s — but 33-13 in Game 2s. Put simply, he’s used to this spot.

— KEEP AN EYE ON: James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 60 points for Houston, while Lakers’ top three scorers — James, Anthony Davis and Alex Caruso — combined for 59. Davis gave Lakers 25 points and 14 rebounds and James will aim for more than his Game 1 output of 20 points, but Lakers must ask who else will step up.

— INJURY WATCH: Westbrook played 32 minutes, a strong indicator that his qu injury is a thing of past.

— PRESSURE IS ON: James. He needs one of his statement games and almost always rises to that challenge when necessary.

Im credits: AP