Heat 110, Bucks 87
LeBron James scored 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting and added 10 rebounds and eight assists as host Miami cruised past Milwaukee in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series.
Ray Allen chipped in 20 points off the bench and Dwyane Wade scored 16 for the top-seeded Heat, who shot 55.9 percent and dominated the second half as they began their pursuit of back-to-back NBA titles.
Brandon Jennings scored 26 points and Monta Ellis had 22 as the only players in double figures for the eighth-seeded Bucks. Game 2 is Tuesday in Miami.
James had 15 points in the first half to help Miami grab a 52-45 lead at the break, but the Heat really started to open things up in the third quarter. Chris Bosh highlighted an 11-1 burst early in the period with a 3-pointer and James’ driving left-handed dunk helped Miami end the third with a 7-0 run and take an 80-65 lead into the fourth.
James and Chris Andersen took turns getting the crowd on its feet with some highlight finishes around the rim early in the final quarter and Allen’s 3-pointer with 5:54 left pushed it out to 96-73.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Miami, which finished last in the NBA in rebounding average during the regular season, outrebounded Milwaukee 46-31. … The Heat overcame 19 turnovers. … Bucks C Larry Sanders (back) played after missing the final four games of the regular season but was limited to six points in 19 minutes while dealing with foul trouble.