Miami Heat make Conference Finals for the first time since 2014 after dominating Bucks

For the first time since LeBron James left in 2014, the Miami Heat have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Led by Jimmy Butler, the Heat managed to beat the Milwaukee Bucks – the No.1 seed in the league – 4-1 in the series to advance to the Conference Finals. With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined, the Heat beat the Bucks 103-94 in Game 5. 

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NBA playoffs: Miami Heat vs Bucks highlights

Heat vs Bucks: Miami Heat beat No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks to reach Eastern Conference Finals

The No. 5 seeded Miami Heat are now the lowest seed to reach the Conference Finals since 1999. Butler helped the team maintain their momentum throughout the game, including a stunning fourth quarter which included six free throws that helped the Heat maintain their lead. Both Butler and Goran Dragic scored a team-high 17 points. Butler added 10 rebounds and 6 assists while shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 100% from the free-throw line. Jae Crowder stepped up for Miami with three-pointers, but also helped limit Khris Middleton to 8-of-25 from the field and only 22.2% from the three-point range. Crowder scored 16 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist while shooting 4-of-9 from the field, all of which were long-range shots.

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"We have deep, deep respect for that franchise and it's unfortunate that Giannis couldn't play tonight," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said during a postgame interview. Not only is this the Heat's first Conference Finals in six years, but it is also Butler's deepest playoff run. Following his 17-point performance, the 30-year-old forward expressed that it "means a lot" to him, but their goal is to bag the NBA title. Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk added 14, 13 and 12 points respectively to oust the Giannis-less Bucks. 

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On the other hand, Middleton scored 23 points for the Bucks, while Brook Lopez added 15 points and 14 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo added 17 points, while both Wesley Matthews and Marvin Williams recorded 11 points. Though Giannis wanted to play Game 5, his injury sidelined him from this contest. 

The game began with a 28-15 run from the Bucks, but the Heat came back with a 30-9 run, which gave them a 45-37 lead with the second quarter showing 4:36 left on the clock. Though the Bucks tried to overtake the Heat, Crowder's three-pointer with 3:07 left on the clock secured the Heat's win. 

Also read | Butler, Heat finish upset of Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks in Game 5:  Miami Heat Eastern Conference Finals

The last time the Heat played the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James led the team to a 3-1 to 4-2 victory against the Indiana Pacers. However, the Heat lost the finals to the San Antonio Spurs in a 4-1 series. James, who had led the Heat to four straight finals appearances and two back-to-back championships (2012, 2013), returned to Cleveland Cavaliers that offseason. 

(Image credits: NBA.com)