Bucks vs Heat NBA Handicapping
If you bought tickets for this game a long time ago, well you and your entourage are the losers here. Because other than providing an opportunity for players to pad their stats, this game doesn’t mean a heck of a lot.
Milwaukee Bucks (37-39) at Miami Heat (33-4)
Tuesday, April 8
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
7:30 p.m. EST
Miami has long since clinched the best record, top seed and home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference, and barring an end-of-the-season 6-game losing streak that might bring an NBA investigation will have the best overall record in the league.
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Milwaukee is, well, Milwaukee, and when the playoffs start they will be right where they have been for weeks – namely, in the 8th spot. In a few weeks they will probably return to Miami, where they will oblige the NBA’s TV people and play the lamb chop to the Heat’s wolf and go down in 4 (maybe 5) games in the first round of the playoffs.
Tonight, though, is nothing more than a chance to preen and primp for the Heat, who just need to make sure that no one gets hurt in the runup to the post-season.
Speaking of hurt, Dwyane Wade doesn’t figure to see many minutes tonight, if any. Wade has been in and out (mostly out) of the lineup over the last few weeks with knee and ankle problems, and the only action he sees from now until the season ends 9 days from now will be to make sure that there’s no rust build-up. “Obviously, I want to play,” Wade says. “But I have to make sure that I’m right. You have to get healthy.” [ad-6571516]
Miami has also been taking care to make sure LeBron James and Chris Bosh aren’t too taxed. James appears recovered from a hamstring issue that caused him to miss a few games, and Bosh (knee) missed the last game but could see action tonight.
The Bucks, meanwhile, are showing few signs on life as they get ready for the executioner. They haven’t won a road game since March 10 (at Sacramento; Miami is 33-4 at home this season), and have gone 5-10 in the last month. Had they shown any signs of life they might have been able to catch faltering Boston for the 7 seed in the East, but they now trail the Celtics by 2½ games with 6 left.
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Determining motivation in a relatively meaningless game in the final days of the regular season is a fool’s mission. If this game were played a month ago the Heat would be giving at least 13 and perhaps as many as 15. Now? The Bucks can show the rest of the league that they won’t be an easy out, and their backcourt of Monta Ellis and Greg Jennings is the only edge they have in this one.
If the line comes out in double digits, Bucks might be a good play in this one. HEAT 94, BUCKS 88.
