Through all the injuries, Jason Kidd found a winning combination against one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders.

O.J. Mayo sat Wednesday night and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a fractured ankle, making it five Bucks out of commission with injury, but a lineup switch by Coach Kidd helped to snap the team’s two-game losing streak.

Greg Monroe and Jerryd Bayless were sent back to the starting lineup, while Miles Plumlee went back to a reserve role. Plumlee responded, scoring 18 points in 24 minutes to spark Milwaukee’s 114-108 win over the Miami Heat.

“I think sometimes we need to take a step back and not put so much of an emphasis on starting,” Jason said after the win. “I thought Greg did a great job getting back into the starting lineup, and I thought Miles played as if he was starting. He played hard. He helped his teammates offensively and defensively. Especially, in that first half. It’s not always about starting, it’s about finishing. Did you do your job? Did you help your team win? For all nine guys who played tonight, it was at team effort and a team win.”

Miami Heat v Milwaukee Bucks

The structure of Milwaukee’s win was almost a complete mirror image to its loss Monday night to the Chicago Bulls. The Bucks started slow and fell by 10 in that contest, but against the Heat, they started fast and finished even better to win by six.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was everywhere for the Bucks, totaling 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. He scored six of Milwaukee’s first seven points, as the Bucks raced out to a 7-0 lead. He had 11 points in the first quarter, while Khris Middleton added 10 and four assists. Middleton finished the game with a brilliant stat line as well: 22 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, one steal.

Behind its dynamic duo, Milwaukee shot 63.2 percent in the first quarter to take a 29-22 advantage into the second quarter.

“I think the last two games were probably the opposite,” J-Kidd said. “There are 82 games. They’re all going to be different. There’s going to be fast starts. There’s going to be slow starts. Tonight we got off to a good start.”

Miami Heat v Milwaukee Bucks

And just like Milwaukee did on Monday, the Heat chipped their way back in the second. Hassan Whiteside turned in 13 points off the bench, while Dwayne Wade added eight.

Early in the second quarter, after consecutive buckets by key reserves Plumlee and Tyler Ennis, Jabari Parker hit a three off an assist from Ennis to give the Bucks a 36-26 lead. But the heat responded, starting with a 6-0 run. Miami twice tied the game on Whiteside free throws, but the Bucks hung on thanks to six key points from Monroe. Milwaukee led 57-54 at the half.

The Bucks stayed in control early in the second half. Parker opened up the third quarter with a three-point play, and at the frame’s exact midpoint, a pair of free throws from Monroe padded the cushion back to eight points. But the Heat scored eight straight to tie it at 72. The Heat held an 11-6 advantage to close the quarter with a five-point lead.

“Look, they’re a playoff team,” Jason said of the Heat. “They’ve got guys over there and a coach that’s won championships. They’re not going to panic. We kept our composure. We’re learning each time we stand on the floor, and it showed tonight.”

They showed it early and all throughout the fourth. The Bucks chipped their way back and tied the game at 89 on back-to-back buckets from Plumlee and Middleton. A Loul Deng three put Miami back on top, but soon thereafter, a Justise Winslow Flagrant 1 foul came as a turning point in the game.

Plumlee hit both free throws off the foul, and Giannis dropped in a finger roll to give the Bucks the lead for good.

“I really like the way that the guys all stuck together once we gave up the lead,” Jason said. “No one panicked. We kept playing. Miles coming off the bench gave us a spark. I thought Tyler gave us a spark, J.O.B. Everybody pitched in for the minutes they were on the floor and helped us win tonight.”

GUARD DEPTH TAKES ANOTHER HIT

The Bucks announced Thursday that Mayo will be shelved for the remainder of the season with a fractured ankle. He joins point guards Michael Carter-Williams and Greivis Vasquez on the injury report. Stretch-four Steve Novak is also out for the year, and center John Henson is out temporarily with a sore back. Jason commented that he hopes to have Henson back practicing on Friday and back in the lineup within a week.

“With the way our roster is right now, we’re going to have a lot of bench players on the floor,” Jason said. “We have a lot of injuries—hopefully we’re going to start getting healthy here”

No matter when Henson returns to the frontcourt, Jason will lean heavily on a couple of players to fill the void at the guard position.

Back in the starting lineup, Bayless didn’t have the explosive offensive night, of which he is capable, scoring just six points. But he came through with a key triple late in the game. After Milwaukee took the lead, Miami chipped back to within one. The eighth-year guard canned a three in the corner, right in front of the Heat bench to tip the scales back toward the Bucks.

“Bayless has had some big offensive games, but he just had some timely shots tonight,” Jason said. “The corner three in front of their bench was a big shot for us. Defensively, he was good. Every night’s not going to be where he gives you 20 points, but I thought his veteran leadership on the floor kept guys calm and helped us find a way to win.”

Ennis played a crucial role as well. His 26 minutes came as a season-high and as just his seventh contest with double figures in minutes played. He tallied eight points and five assists, and as Jason explained, he helped Giannis to play freely and create off the ball.

Antetokounmpo went 3-of-4 for seven points in the fourth quarter and added three assists. Giannis was a plus-11, while Ennis was a plus-10 in his 7:36 on the floor in the final period.

“I thought he did a really good job at running the show,” Jason said of Ennis. “That gives Giannis a chance, if he’s on the floor, to do other things. Tyler hasn’t played for a while. Being able to be thrown into the game tonight and be a positive just shows his work ethic too.”

NEXT UP

The Bucks will be at home for the seventh time in the last eight games Saturday as they host the New Orleans Pelicans (24-39).

The Pelicans have struggled as of late, losing five of their last six games. The Bucks will have a few more days of rest than the Pelicans, who are at the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.
In the two teams’ only meeting this season, the Pelicans defeated the Bucks 116-99 in New Orleans on Jan. 23.

The game tips at 6:30 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Wisconsin.

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