Heat Vs Bucks: Kevin Porter Jr.'s late surge lifts Milwaukee to 128-117 victory

In a back-and-forth night that came down to a fourth-quarter explosion, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 128-117 in a game that delivered late drama in the heat vs bucks matchup. Kevin Porter Jr. supplied the decisive scoring run, finishing with a game-high stat line and a string of clutch plays that sealed the win.

Heat Vs Bucks — KPJ’s explosive fourth quarter powers Milwaukee to victory

Kevin Porter Jr. led all scorers with 32 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and his fourth-quarter outburst proved decisive. KPJ’s and-one fall-away triple came at a critical juncture to put the Bucks up two, and the four-point play sparked a 10-0 run that swung the game squarely to Milwaukee. Ten of Porter’s 13 fourth-quarter points came in the final 5: 35 of the game, underlining the timing of his punch.

Early chess match: Kuzma’s bounceback and Norman Powell’s response

Kyle Kuzma, who had struggled the previous night by scoring just three points, opened this game strong by scoring nine of the Bucks’ first 11 in the opening six minutes. Miami’s All-Star guard Norman Powell countered, scoring six straight to put the Heat up three in the later stages of the first quarter. Powell finished the night with 26 points for Miami.

Second quarter sees bench bursts, Spoelstra timeout and Cam Thomas’ late flurry

The benches traded minutes early in the second before the Bucks put together a 6-2 run that prompted an Erik Spoelstra timeout. Ousmane Dieng hit his first home points as a member of the Bucks with a three that pushed Milwaukee to a double-digit edge. Miami’s shooters then went on a run, converting four straight from long range, and Andrew Wiggins scored in transition to tie the game as part of a 14-2 burst. The stanza remained tight until Cam Thomas completed a three-point play and, with one second left, knocked down a step-back jumper; Thomas’ five-point burst sent the Bucks into the break leading 63-58.

Third-quarter momentum swings: Heat reply, Green and Turner respond

Miami struck first out of the locker room with a 7-0 run to regain the lead. Two Bucks who had been held scoreless in the first half, AJ Green and Myles Turner, helped answer that charge; Green’s first three of the night capped an 8-2 run to put Milwaukee back in front. The Heat then regained the edge and held it for the remainder of the quarter. A Bobby Portis floater with 46 seconds left trimmed Miami’s lead to 93-89 heading into the fourth.

Closing sequence, defensive stretch and oddnotes from the recap

Miami opened the fourth by drilling a pair of threes to reach its largest lead of the night at nine points, but Milwaukee fought back when Green, Portis and Dieng hit three straight from long range to flip the game in the home team’s favor. The Bucks’ defense then held the Heat without a field goal for 6: 34 during the decisive run, and Milwaukee closed out the game 128-117. Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis each chipped in 21 points for the Bucks, complementing Porter’s 32, while Norman Powell led Miami with 26.

The recap included a colorful set of lines from the game feed: “KPJ’s explosive fourth quarter powers Milwaukee to victory, ” “Dreadful three-point shooting performance dooms Milwaukee, ” and “The Bucks get another terrific win with the power of friendship!” The report also noted that the Bucks finish a perfect home stand with a 3-0 record.

Game note: Porter drilled a triple with 13 seconds left in the first quarter to put Milwaukee up by one after the opening 12 minutes, 30-29. Cam Thomas’ late first-half heroics and Porter’s late fourth-quarter scoring bookended a contest defined by runs and counter-runs.

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Rapid recap headline used in the game feed: Bucks 128, Heat 117.