4/20/23 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday
20 April 2023 Sports
Thursday Sports
From Wayne Mausser
Brook Lopez scored 25 points, Jrue Holiday added 24 and the hot-shooting Milwaukee Bucks withstood Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence while trouncing the Miami Heat 138-122 on Wednesday night, tying their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece.
The Bucks went 25 of 49 on 3-point attempts to tie the NBA record for 3-point baskets in a postseason game. Pat Connaughton, who didn’t even play in Game 1, added a playoff career-high 22 points while going 6 of 10 from beyond the arc.
Antetokounmpo remained out for Milwaukee after leaving the Bucks’ 130-117 Game 1 loss early in the second quarter with a bruised lower back. The two-time MVP suffered the injury on a hard fall after getting fouled late in the first period during a drive to the basket.
“We’ll continue to monitor him and expect for him to improve and still continue to be optimistic that soon he’ll be ready to play,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game.
The Bucks also were missing guard Wesley Matthews, who had strained his right calf in Game 1. The Heat didn’t have Tyler Herro, who broke his right hand in Game 1 and likely won’t return this season unless Miami reaches the NBA Finals.
For at least one night, the Bucks didn’t miss Antetokounmpo at all as they capitalized on a dramatic turnaround in 3-point shooting. In Game 1, the Bucks went 11 of 45 on 3-point attempts while the Heat were 15 of 25. This time, the Bucks made more than half their 3-point shots in a record-tying performance.
Joe Ingles scored 17 points for the Bucks and was 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. Khris Middleton and Grayson Allen added 16 points apiece. Bobby Portis had 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for the Heat, who host Game 3 on Saturday.
The Bucks led by as many as 36 in the third quarter. The Heat outscored the Bucks 37-20 in the fourth quarter to make the final score somewhat respectable.
In other NBA playoff games Wednesday the Grizzlies beat the Lakers 103-93 to tie their series at a game apiece and Denver downed Minnesota 122-113 to take a 2-0 lead in their series.
Eric Lauer allowed just four hits over 7 2/3 innings, and Brice Turang hit a go-ahead single and scored in the seventh as the Milwaukee Brewers completed a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory Wednesday over the Seattle Mariners.
Julio Rodríguez clubbed a two-run homer against Lauer (3-1) in the third, but that was all the offense Seattle could muster against the Brewers’ lefty, who didn’t give up another hit until the eighth inning.
Mariners starter Marco Gonzales had a strong outing, with nine strikeouts and four hits allowed over six innings in his first start since April 8.
Gonzales was pulled after allowing back to back singles to William Contreras and Jesse Winker to open the seventh. Right-hander Matt Brash (1-2) came on in relief and allowed back to back singles to Brian Anderson and Luke Voit to give Milwaukee its first run.
Turang gave Milwaukee the lead with a two-run single, and scored on a pinch-hit two-run single from Rowdy Tellez to put the Brewers ahead, 5-2.
Jarred Kelenic drove in a run for Seattle in the ninth on a bases loaded single, but Matt Bush got the final two outs for his first save of the season.
The Brewer placed OF Garrett Mitchell on the 10-Day IL with a left shoulder subluxation, and recalled OF Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville.
Milwaukee is off today. RHP Freddy Peralta will pitch Friday for the Brewers against Boston. Peralta is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three starts.
Elsewhere in the NL Central Wednesday the Rays shutout the Reds 8-0, the Cardinals pounded the Diamondbacks 14-5, the Pirates over the Rockies 14-3 and the Cubs beat the A’s 14-2.
The Green Bay Packers hired Derrick Coleman as an assistant to player engagement. Coleman, who became the NFL’s first legally deaf offensive player, played 63 games with 18 starts in five seasons in the NFL as a fullback. Coleman played with the Seahawks (2013-15), Falcons (2017) and Cardinals (2018) and totaled 46 rushing yards, 128 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
On the Men’s PGA Golf Tour this week, the Mexico Open starts today at Vidanta, Mexico. The defending champion is Joh Rahm. The total purse is $7,700,000.
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