The opening tip  Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 23.5 points as the Bucks swept the Miami Heat. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP) | Antetokounmpo and Bucks came back better, smarter and steadier Rarely is revenge this clean and clinical. The Milwaukee Bucks' brilliant dismantling of the Miami Heat was easy to overlook during a hectic first round filled with everything from fan misconduct incidents to an Anthony Davis groin injury that seriously complicates the Los Angeles Lakers' title defense. But stop a minute to consider exactly what Giannis Antetokounmpo and company accomplished. After suffering a stunning second-round loss to the Heat in the Disney World bubble, the Bucks returned the favor by sweeping the defending Eastern Conference champions. Those who expected a competitive sequel were sorely mistaken. Milwaukee eked out a 109-107 overtime victory in Game 1 before executing so flawlessly in the first half of Game 2 that a mercy rule was in order. The Bucks never looked back from a 78-51 halftime lead, reeling off three straight blowouts to compile a league-leading +20.5 postseason point differential and become the first team to advance to the second round. "There's a saying, 'Don't play with your food.' We didn't want to play with our food," Antetokounmpo said after Game 4. "We went out there and competed as hard as possible. … We kept our composure, we kept moving the ball and we were able to get a win." In the bubble, the Bucks' list of shortcomings was long: Antetokounmpo was outplayed by Jimmy Butler, the late-game offense was too predictable, the backcourt wasn't reliable, and Coach Mike Budenholzer was rigid to a fault when it came to minutes management and in-game strategies. Milwaukee also faltered under the pressure of playing as favorites. Lessons were learned, and this year's group turned virtually all those disadvantages into advantages. Start with Antetokounmpo, who averaged 23.5 points, 15 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game during the series. The two-time MVP hardly played a perfect series, struggling with his free throws, his outside shot and Miami's "wall" defense, which was designed to limit his interior scoring. Yet this was a case where less turned out to be more: Antetokounmpo didn't force the issue as a one-man attack, and a more balanced offense paid major dividends. The Bucks rank second in the playoffs with 26.8 assists per game, and Antetokounmpo tallied 15 by himself in the closeout win. "There are going to be days I'm going to be dominant," Antetokounmpo said, noting his "growth" into a more well-rounded player who can impact wins with his passing and defense as well as his scoring. "I'm mature enough to understand that there's going to be days where I'm going to be able to do it and there are going to be days where I'm not going to be able to do it." In the most important moment of the series, Antetokounmpo relinquished control of the ball to the Bucks' benefit. With the score tied on Milwaukee's final possession of Game 1, Antetokounmpo watched from the weak side as Khris Middleton worked his way past two defenders to swish a last-second game-winner. Middleton is an excellent shooter and a trustworthy shot-creator, and it was a better and safer decision to put the game in his hands rather than to allow Antetokounmpo to initiate. Middleton's heroic moment was big for Milwaukee's collective confidence after a fraught contest, in part because it rewarded other hustle plays in the overtime period. Center Brook Lopez had a tough putback in the paint when Antetokounmpo missed a jumper with about two minutes to go, and guard Jrue Holiday corralled a long defensive rebound and raced ahead for a transition layup with less than a minute to play. "It's a great start to what we want to do and where we want to be," Middleton said after Game 1. The Bucks' extra effort plays continued throughout the series, and they rank first in the playoffs in defensive efficiency and rebounds. Milwaukee's big lineups with Lopez totally controlled the action, keeping Butler away from the basket area and daring Bam Adebayo to shoot. The Heat's offense lacked spacing without Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk — who both played key minutes in last year's playoffs — and missed the punch that Victor Oladipo was supposed to provide before he suffered a season-ending injury. As expected, Holiday proved to be a massive upgrade over his predecessor, Eric Bledsoe, whose poor shooting and decision-making repeatedly cost the Bucks in past postseasons. Milwaukee's double bet — to trade three first-round picks for Holiday and then sign him to a four-year extension that could be worth up to $160 million — paid off with sound distribution and excellent defensive activity against Miami. Meanwhile, unheralded backup guard Bryn Forbes chipped in six three-pointers in Game 2 and seven more in Game 4. The Bucks set the stage for this triumph by handily winning the post-bubble asset arms race between the two teams. Budenholzer's reckoning awaits in the second round, where the Bucks will probably face Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, who hold a 3-1 lead over the Boston Celtics entering Game 5 on Tuesday. Even so, there were early signs of progress: Budenholzer rode Antetokounmpo for more than 45 minutes in Game 1 after strictly limiting his minutes in previous postseasons, and he deployed Antetokounmpo far more often as the primary defender against Butler as the series unfolded. To no one's great surprise, the Bucks looked better when their superstar played more and was more directly involved in the action. Assuming they advance, the Nets will present an entirely different test for the Bucks thanks to their overwhelming offensive firepower. Antetokounmpo should be able to punish Brooklyn's frontcourt, but it will take all hands on deck to slow a loaded backcourt led by Harden and Irving. Milwaukee will no doubt miss guard Donte DiVincenzo, who was lost for the rest of the playoffs with an ankle injury in Game 3. This looming second-round matchup promises plenty of intriguing matchups and contrasts. The smooth-shooting Durant versus the ultraphysical Antetokounmpo as headliners. The top regular season offense versus the top postseason defense. Big stars in a metropolis versus low-key personalities in a smaller market. A brand-new contender built through free agency and a blockbuster trade versus a returning threat constructed around Antetokounmpo's loyalty. Indeed, Milwaukee's strong early showing has helped set the stage for what could be the most intriguing showdown of the entire playoffs. "There's got to be a humility and humbleness and an attitude or mind-set to get better," Budenholzer said. "We've advanced in the first round [before]. … Whoever we play next, we've got to have a similar focus, similar edge and a willingness to play together. All the things we just did. It means nothing if we don't keep doing it going forward." | 
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