Milwaukee Bucks 95-137 Miami Heat: 5 talking points as Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler put on a shooting clinic to overwhelm the defending champs | 2021-22 NBA Season
The Miami Heat greeted the 2021-22 NBA season at the FTX Arena with a punishing win over the depleted defending champions Milwaukee Bucks.
Months after getting the broom in last year's postseason, the retooled Miami Heat wasted no time letting the Milwaukee Bucks know that it will be vastly different this season. Erik Spoelstra's team blasted off the gates with a crippling 22-3 run inside the first six minutes of the game.
A tremendous display of scorching hot scoring and suffocating defense promptly took the fight out of the Milwaukee Bucks. The 40-17 score ending the first quarter looked more lopsided than the score suggested.
Heat put the league on NOTICE 😤
Butler: 21 PTS | 6/10 FG | 9/11 FT
Herro: 27 PTS | 4 3PT | 24 MIN
Adebayo: 20 PTS | 13 REBS | 23 MIN
They beat the Bucks by 42 PTS 👀
(via @BallyHEAT)
https://t.co/O9CxSmadvQ
After the Miami Heat made quick work of the Milwaukee Bucks, here are five talking points to ruminate on:
#1 The grit and grind Miami Heat
The Miami Heat's culture of no-nonsense blue-collar work was very evident right out of the gates. When the Heat acquired Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris in the offseason, that culture became an incessant drum in the background.
Last season, when the Milwaukee Bucks dusted off the Miami Heat in four games in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, Brook Lopez, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton swallowed up the Heat's frontline.
With P.J. Tucker around and Markieff Mrieff coming off the bench, that was hardly the case in this game, particularly with Lopez sidelined with an injury. The Miami Heat frontline was more than up to the task of jostling and muscling out the Milwaukee Bucks' frontcourt.
The backcourt also got a boost of hard-nosed determination with Kyle Lowry's addition. He brings such a dogged mentality to his game that it is noticeable with every defensive play, particularly when he disrupts the passing lanes or draws a charge.
The Miami Heat doubled down on Jimmy Butler's personality, and it will pay huge dividends for them as the lengthy season moves along.
#2 The Tyler Herro Recognition Tour starts
During the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, Tyler Herro introduced himself to the basketball world with incredible shooting and solid overall play against the Boston Celtics. In a few games in that series, he was arguably the best player on either team.
Last season, despite a career-high in points per game at 15.1, his main calling card - shooting - regressed. He wasn't as aggressive, and his play was often hesitant. How badly he played in the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks captured the way his whole season happened.
This season, he has gone on record saying that he wants to be mentioned in the same conversation as superstars Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Ja Morant.
The preseason could be the start of Tyler Herro's recognition tour. He was the Miami Heat's most productive player in each of the games he played.
Tyler Herro in 24 minutes tonight:
27 PTS
6 REB
5 AST
10-18 FG
4-8 3P
+27 +/-
He is the first Heat player (starter or bench) with a 25/5/5 game in 25 minutes or less in the last 20 years. https://t.co/w1SXIICqZF
Against the Milwaukee Bucks team that humbled him and the Miami Heat last season, Tyler Herro was purposeful in his moves. He caught the Bucks' attention on defense every time he was on the floor.
Herro finished with 27 points underlined by terrific shooting, making 10 of 18 FG attempts with 4-8 three-point shooting. He looked like the shooting guard who caused headaches for Brad Stevens and Frank Vogel in Miami's trip to the 2020 NBA Finals.