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    • Without Giannis, the Bucks Heat led 65-51 at halftime
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    Without Giannis, the Bucks Heat led 65-51 at halftime

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    MIAMI – The Milwaukee Bucks bring a four-game winning streak to the Kaseya Center and have a chance to climb to .500 tonight with a win over the Miami Heat.

    With Giannis Antetokounmpo making a late scratch, the Bucks took a 65-51 lead at halftime thanks to a 13-for-21 finish from behind the three-point line. Damian Lillard hit six three-pointers and scored 25 points, while also dishing out seven assists. Jimmy Butler had 11 points to lead the Heat.

    Lillard scored 17 points to help the Buck take a 31-20 lead in the first quarter. Lillard went 4-for-5 from behind the three-point line. The Bucks shot 55% from the floor overall and took the lead. Miami was just 1 of 7 from deep.

    The Bucks are 8-9 overall and have won six of their last seven games. The Heat are 7-7 overall and have won three of four, including two in a row.

    Tuesday evening is also a pool match for East Group B in the Emirates Cup. The Bucks are 2-0 and the Heat are 1-1.

    Does Giannis play?

    No.

    After warming up before the game, the Bucks star was downgraded to questionable for the game due to a left knee effusion, which is another way of saying swelling. Almost immediately afterwards he was excluded. It’s a new injury for him, and one that’s different from what he started with that day, a left calf strain.

    The team announced the change in Antetokounmpo’s status as Doc Rivers was about to begin his pre-game press conference.

    “That’s the breaking news for me at this point as well,” Rivers said. “So we’ll just wait and see.”

    Antetokounmpo was originally expected to play with a calf issue, marking the first time he has dealt with the injury this season. Antetokounmpo suffered a strained soleus muscle in that left calf on April 9, which not only ended his regular season but also kept him out of the postseason. When asked if there was any concern about that first injury, Rivers said: “No, no, I mean, listen to the way he plays and how he works, these kinds of things are going to happen and when they do happen, you just deal with it.”

    What channel are the Bucks on?

    Because the match is an Emirates Cup tie, the Bucks will tip off at 6:30 PM CT and the match will be broadcast nationally on TNT. Ian Eagle, Stan Van Gundy and Stephanie Ready will be in attendance.

    Khris Middleton is progressing to five-on-five in Miami

    Khris Middleton did not train on Monday, but then went through his first five-on-five session. It was a good sign of progress for the all-star, even if Rivers downplayed it in his pregame media session.

    “He’s good. I mean, he’s not ready to play yet, but he’s working hard, he’s played five-on-five, he’s done some of that,” Rivers said. “The next steps will be on the floor, but I can’t tell you when that will happen. I don’t know if it’s a step forward or a step that we had planned – three against three, four against three. four, we’ve been doing four-on-four on the full court for a week, so I don’t know what the difference is. We added a man. So I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. We’re just trying to get him back on the ground and… he’s got to go through the process.”

    Rivers concluded last week by hoping Middleton would be available for the game in Miami or Saturday against Washington. The team will likely train in Milwaukee on Friday.

    Bucks injury report

    • Khris Middleton, out (surgery on both ankles)
    • Tyler Smith, questionable (non-COVID illness)
    • AJ Johnson, probable (left Achilles tendonitis)
    • MarJon Beauchamp, probably (left hamstring tendinopathy)
    • Taurean Prince, probable (non-COVID disease)
    • Giannis Antetokounmpo, out (left knee effusion)

    Bucks starters

    • Guards: Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr.
    • Forwards: AJ Green, Taurean Prince
    • Middle: Brook Lopez

    Bucks vs. Heat Odds, Over/Under

    The Heat are 2.5-point favorites over the Bucks and the over/under for the game is 222.5 points per BetMGM.

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