Bucks at Heat
The Milwaukee Bucks remain the class of the Eastern Conference and own the best record in the NBA as they ease their way toward clinching the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bucks could be getting a look at their first-round opponent when they finish out a three-game road trip by visiting the Miami Heat on Friday.
Milwaukee snapped a three-game road slide by breaking out for 45 points in the third quarter and cruising to a 130-113 win at New Orleans on Tuesday. "In the slow start we weren't being aggressive, we were sloppy with the ball, we were turning the ball over, we were getting charges and stuff," superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters, "but I think when we came out of the half we were more focused, we knew what we wanted." Miami is pulling away from challengers Orlando and Charlotte in the race for the No. 8 spot and has won five of its last six games after trouncing the Detroit Pistons 108-74 on Wednesday. "Just a professional win by us tonight," veteran guard Dwyane Wade told reporters. "We played against a team that wasn't making shots early and you continue to keep going at them and continue to keep applying pressure."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (51-17): Milwaukee entered play on Thursday three games ahead of the Toronto Raptors in the East and 4 1/2 games clear of the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors. Staying sharp and healthy the rest of the way and into the playoffs is the goal for the Bucks, and coach Mike Budenholzer was guarding against any slippage in his comments after Tuesday's victory. "I think we've just got to find the focus, find the urgency," Budenholzer told reporters after the uneven win. "It's certainly not easy; winning in this league not easy, being really good in this league is not easy, so you just got to keep digging deeper and find a way. There were stretches where we did that."
ABOUT THE HEAT (32-35): Miami outscored Detroit 63-26 in the first and third quarters combined and came out of the locker room with a 21-0 run in Wednesday's triumph. "Our starting lineup has had some good starts and some play that's been trending in the right direction," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "But that was as inspiring as they've been. The collective unit really just set the tone, flying around. You could feel the energy." Miami's starting five combined to go 22-of-40 from the floor and 8-of-16 from beyond the arc.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks C Brook Lopez is 3-of-13 from 3-point range over the last three games.
2. Heat C Hassan Whiteside recorded a double-double off the bench in three of the last four games.
3. Milwaukee crushed Miami 124-86 at home in the most recent meeting on Jan. 15.