It’s set: Miami Heat to face Milwaukee Bucks in first round of 2021 NBA playoffs
First up for the Miami Heat this postseason? A playoff rematch against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The New York Knicks’ win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon locked the Heat into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, regardless of the result of Miami’s regular-season finale against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.
Then the Brooklyn Nets clinched the No. 2 seed with Sunday night’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, which left the Bucks in the No. 3 spot.
As a result, the sixth-seeded Heat will open the playoffs with a first-round matchup against two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the third-seeded Bucks. The best-of-7 series will begin either Saturday or Sunday at Fiserv Forum, with the schedule yet to be released.
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The first two games will be played in Milwaukee before the series moves to AmericanAirlines Arena for Games 3 and 4. If necessary, Games 5 and 7 will be played at Fiserv Forum and Game 6 will take place at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Heat and Bucks also faced off in the playoffs last season, with then-fifth-seeded Miami eliminating then-top-seeded Milwaukee in a second-round upset on its way to the NBA Finals in the Walt Disney World bubble. The Heat won that series over the Bucks 4-1.
Last season’s playoff series between the two teams, and the Bucks’ disappointing finish, will be one of the big storylines surrounding this year’s Miami-Milwaukee matchup.
The Heat finished with a 1-2 record against the Bucks this season. Miami, playing without Jimmy Butler, fell to the Bucks 122-108 at Fiserv Forum on Saturday.
Butler did not play in any of the Heat’s three games against the Bucks this season because of injuries, so little can be taken from the teams’ regular-season matchups. Butler is averaging team-highs in points, assists and steals this season.
The top-six playoff seeds in the East are the No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers, No. 2 Nets, No. 3 Bucks, No. 4 Knicks, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks and No. 6 Heat. A play-in tournament that begins Tuesday between the No. 7 Boston Celtics, No. 8 Washington Wizards, No. 9 Indiana Pacers and No. 10 Charlotte Hornets will determine the final two seeds in the conference.
By finishing the regular season in sixth place, the Heat’s path back to the NBA Finals could include the top three teams in the East. The winner of the No. 3 vs. No. 6 series faces the winner of the No. 2 vs. No. 7 series, with the top-seeded 76ers on the other side of the bracket as a potential opponent in the East finals.
The Heat finished two wins away from its fourth NBA championship last season, as the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Miami in six games in the NBA Finals to win the title.
