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Top seed Milwaukee Bucks is out of the playoffs, falling to the fifth seed Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday.
Jimmy Butler scored 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had six assists to lead Miami past the Bucks, 103-94, and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics or Toronto Raptors. The Celtics are ahead in their series 3-2 and could score their walk in Game 6 on Wednesday.
The Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who injured his ankle again in Game 4.
Miami got off to a sloppy start, allowing the Bucks to lead by nine at the end of the first.
But the Heat revved their engines in the second and Miami pulled away in the third, building a 12-point lead, but the Bucks managed to cut the margin to four 91-87 with just under two minutes to play in the fourth. period. However, Miami responded and won.
Goran Dragic also scored 17 points, Jae Crowder scored 16 and rookie Tyler Herro had 14 for the Heat.
Khris Middleton had 23 points, Donte DiVincenzo had 17 and Brook Lopez added 15 for the Bucks.
Miami used tight defense to win, holding the Bucks to 36.3 percent shooting.
The Bucks entered the playoffs with high hopes and were promoted to reach the NBA Finals after having the best regular-season record.
Milwaukee has lost to the underdog in two postseason runs in a row: to Toronto and Miami. The team is expected to offer Giannis a contract extension in the offseason and will not trade him if he declines, according to a report.
Houston, we have a problem
The Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 112-102 and take a 2-1 lead in their second round of the Western Conference playoff series.
Game three was closed until the fourth quarter when Rajon Rondo scored eight points in a 10-0 run to put Los Angeles on top for good.
LeBron James scored 36 points, Anthony Davis 26, Rondo 21 and Kyle Kuzma added 14. James Harden led Houston with 33 points while Russell Westbrook added 30.
The win gave LeBron his NBA record 162 in the playoffs, beating former Lakers guard Derek Fisher, who was 161.
Giannis named to fully defensive team
Giannis found consolation after his second-round exit when he was named to the NBA’s First Defensive Team.
2019-2020 NBA Kia Defensive Player of the Year Joins LA Lakers’ Anthony Davis; Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers; Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz; and Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics.
The Second Defensive Team was also named. In it are Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers; Bucks center Brook Lopez; Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat; Patrick Beverly of the Clippers and Eric Bledsoe, Giannis’ teammate.
Antetokounmpo led the vote, received 97 votes from the first team and garnered 195 total votes from a global panel of 100 sports journalists and broadcasters.
Giannis, who has been tied to multiple teams in free agency, has been selected to his second consecutive NBA defensive first team.
The selection of Giannis, Lopez and Bledsoe makes the Bucks the first team since the Memphis Grizzlies (Tony Allen, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley) in 2013 to have three players on the NBA’s All Defensive Team.
Voting was conducted based on regular season games played through March 11. Seeded games as part of the bubble do not count.
Thunder coach Donovan out
Coach Billy Donovan and the Oklahoma City Thunder have parted ways.
Donovan left after general manager Sam Presti failed to secure the future of the team.
Donovan led the Thunder to the playoffs every year. He was at the end of his contract when he left.
He had a 243-157 record with Oklahoma, which was expected like a lottery team after the trade that brought Russel Westbrook to the Houston Rockets.
Oklahoma exceeded expectations, reached the playoffs and led the Rockets to seven games in the first round.
Donovan and the Thunder said the separation was a mutual decision.
You could land a job in another part of the NBA, as there are several head coach positions available. (Compiled by Tristan Lozano)
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