Pinoyliga Daily NBA Recap: Miami Advances, Lakers Seize Control

The top-seeded teams in the 2019-2020 National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season played on Wednesday (Manila time). One of them was sent home. The other seized the lead in the series.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the picture, the fifth-seeded Miami Heat completed what Jinno Rufino referred to as a "gentleman's sweep" in beating the Milwaukee Bucks, 103-94 in Game Five of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series that propelled the Heat back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014. 

The Bucks were actually within four points after Khris Middleton hit a 28-footer trey with 3:13 remaining in the fourth quarter but the Heat made 12 free throws down the stretch to seal the deal. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic each had 17 points for Miami while Jae Crowder added 16 points. Bam Adebayo finished with 13 points. Tyler Herro scored 14 points off the bench while Kelly Olynyk had 12 points for the Heat who trailed as much as 12 points. 

Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points before fouling out in the final minute with Donte DiVincenzo following that up with 17 points. Brook Lopez had a big double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds and Wes Mathews added 11 points. Retirement-bound Marvin Williams scored 11 points in his final game as the Bucks only scored six points off Miami's 22 turnovers while the Heat were able to score 23 points off Milwaukee's 11 miscues. 

Out west, it was the Los Angeles Lakers who came out victorious anew as LeBron James scored 29 of his 35 points in the first half as the Lakers won against the Houston Rockets, 112-102 to take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals. The King also finished with seven rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. Anthony Davis, who collided with Robert Covington late in the fourth quarter, added 26 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists. Rajon Rondo added 21 points and nine assists while Kyle Kunza had 14 points. The Lakers outscored the Rockets 30-20 in the fourth quarter after the score was tied at 82 apiece after three quarters. The Lakers also outrebounded the smaller Houston squad, 43-30.

Houston was led by James Harden's 33 points and Russell Westbrook's 30 points as the Rockets' defense allowed the Lakers to shoot 55% from the field and score 56 points in the paint. 

Photo is from CBS Sports