The Milwaukee Bucks made some NBA history with their production from beyond the arc during their 138-122 win over the Miami Heat in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Bucks were without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo because of a back contusion, but they overcame his absence by collectively knocking down 25 shots from long range. That number tied an NBA playoff record.
Coincidentally, the only other time a team has hit 25 3s in a game was back in 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers went 25-of-45 from downtown in a win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. The coach for the Hawks that day was none other than Mike Budenholzer, who is now in charge of the Bucks.
Asked how it felt to be on the right side of such a shooting performance, Budenzholer laughed and shook his head. "It feels good," he said.
The Bucks tied an NBA Playoff record with 25 made threes tonight 🎯
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2023
They picked up the Game 2 win to even the series at 1-1.#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/YLHOW8wgV6
Seven different Milwaukee players connected on at least one triple in the win, led by Pat Connaughton, who had six, while Joe Ingles added five of his own. The Bucks shot 51 percent from long range as a team, and they outscored the Heat by 27 points from deep. That was a significant factor in the outcome of the contest.
"We were hot," Grayson Allen said. "There was a stretch there where it seemed like everything was going in and a lot of it was piling on after stops. We were getting out and running and able to get some 3s in transition, moving the ball around great. It was an all-around great night. Shout out to Pat coming off the bench, hitting six of them, gave us a huge lift there."
The shooting mark wasn't the only postseason record that the Bucks equaled in their victory. They also had six players score over 15 points, which ties a playoff record, per ESPN. With the win, the Bucks were able to tie the series up at 1-1 before it shifts to Miami for Games 3 and 4.
Obviously, the Bucks would have preferred to have Antetokounmpo available. Still, the fact that they could win without him, thanks to contributions from up and down the roster, could be beneficial in the future. If the Bucks can continue to light it up from beyond the arc with Antetokounmpo back in the lineup, the Heat -- and the rest of the league -- will be in trouble.
