The NBA playoffs slim into high gear on Saturday with a full schedule and you can watch the live streaming coverage of the Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks matchup. This Eastern Conference first round battle will provide everything for the fans and you can watch the live stream on WatchESPN.com, as well as on ESPN on you television set.
This head-to-head battle has come too early for many fans, but with the Bucks coming in as the third-seed and the Heat only finishing sixth in the East, we couldn’t avoid see this clash in the first round.
Given the dynamic of the teams involved, I am expecting a long series, with the basketball experts concurring with me and picking this Eastern Conference first round series to go all the way to seven games.
Who will win the Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks? I believe if everyone plays according to their potential, the Bucks will come out on top.
This would be a good reward for star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who watched Milwaukee suffered an elimination against Miami in the second round last year. Antetokounmpo suffered an ankle injury early in Game 4 of that series last season and didn’t play the rest series.
“If I wasn’t who I am today and I didn’t work as hard as I work and I didn’t focus on the game, I didn’t love the game and I didn’t compete the way I am, we wouldn’t be talking about pressure,” he said. “Pressure is earned, and I love it.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is expecting a different matchup this year for his team.
“The year is different. Both teams are different. … It’s just a totally new challenge,” Spoelstra said. “We feel grateful that we have this opportunity to be in the playoffs and compete against them. They’re a great team.”
No. 3 MILWAUKEE BUCKS (46-26) vs. No. 6 MIAMI HEAT (40-32) ESPN | 2:00 PM ET | MIL -5.0
Season series: Bucks, 2-1.
Story line: Milwaukee lost to the Heat on Miamis way to the Eastern Conference title last season, and the Bucks clearly are looking forward to the playoff rematch. We wanted it, Bucks owner Marc Lasry said earlier this week on CNBC. Its a clash of styles; the Bucks play at the fastest pace in the league, the Heat always put defense first.
Key matchup: Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Jimmy Butler. Its not a matchup in the sense that theyll be guarding each other much, if at all. But an early exit would have Antetokounmpo facing questions that he wouldnt like, and it bears noting that Butler missed all three Miami-Milwaukee games this season.
Prediction: Bucks in 7.
