The law of averages suggested that the Bucks would not complete a sweep of the Heat Monday night. LeBron James might be a lot of things, but average isn’t one of them.
Miami’s uber-talented swingman proved that again in leading the Heat to an easy 114-96 victory over Milwaukee (12-16), which dropped its fourth straight home game. Miami’s players were unusually honest in describing this as a revenge game. James scored 16 of his 35 points in the decisive third quarter to ensure his team left the Bradley Center with that sweet feeling.
The game started well for Milwaukee, with Brandon Jennings hitting two threes and scoring eight points in the first four minutes. The early rush undoubtedly left many in the sizable crowd bracing for an explosive duel with King James, and when the Bucks converted six first-quarter Miami turnovers into eight points for a 30-27 lead, hope for the improbable sweep seemed real.
The game remained close throughout the second quarter, and it took a tip-in by James to push Miami’s lead to five at halftime. But the rest of the game was evidence that on so many nights in the NBA, talent matters more than anything.
Dwyane Wade had his moments with 22 points in 28 minutes, but LeBron’s exploits certainly reigned supreme. At first blush it is rather stunning to read that he is seventh in the league in field-goal percentage, but when he is stroking fadeaways from deep like he was Monday, there is no stopping him.
Coach Scott Skiles rightly lamented his team’s defense as “average,” but Miami’s determined mindset was largely responsible for preventing an exhilarating comeback this time around. Unlike in Milwaukee’s win two weeks ago, the Heat displayed intensity, balance and offensive flow. There was no sense that James and Wade were just taking star turns.
James and his running mates played with such smoothness that they appeared to be toying with the Bucks much of the game. For the first time this season against Milwaukee, the Heat played with the aggressive killer instinct that championship contenders should against fringe playoff clubs. As this condensed season nears halftime, that is what these Bucks are.
Forgive my sounding like a broken record, but for them to be anything more, Brandon Jennings must elevate his game now. The slumping point guard has been talking lately about how he must adjust to the way defenses are playing him, similar to the way a second-year quarterback must decipher more complex coverages.
Monday was the clearest example yet of his struggles. After getting off to a hot start against the same team he had recently torched, Jennings was powerless to strike back when Miami found its groove. He was outscored for the night by Mario Chalmers (13-12).
Whether indicative of significant shortcomings or a mere rough patch in a demanding profession, Jennings’ struggles have coincided with the meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin, who has catapulted the Knicks into the Eastern Conference’s final postseason slot. I’m not ready to anoint Lin the next Steve Nash, but he does have New York playing with a renewed vigor which suggests they will stay in the race.
Jennings is capable of giving his team that kind of lift, as his sterling second half two seasons ago demonstrated. With Andrew Bogut hurt again and Stephen Jackson in mostly self-imposed purgatory, a repeat performance will be difficult.
But for his team to have any chance to derail Miami’s title hopes this spring, Jennings will have to start the encore quicker than King James’ first step.
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