East Notes: Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Heat, Magic

Bucks

The Bucks were swept by a Lakers team that didn’t have LeBron James either team, but the latest one really stung — given how Milwaukee blew a 19-point lead at home.

“We’ve got to watch this game, learn from this game,” star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “Watch why we weren’t able to get a stop. Watch why the ball wasn’t moving down the stretch. Watch why we lost the game. Watch why there was a lot of 50-50 balls and we weren’t able to get them.”

Any loss to the Lakers’ is magnified, of course, given that the franchise is the NBA’s media darling. That’s especially the case when you surrender a 94-75 lead in the fourth quarter and lose in double overtime.

“Sometimes the ball just bounces different, and if you don’t stay disciplined and do the things that go into how we built that lead, those leads can go away quick, like they did tonight,” guard Damian Lillard said. “That’s what happened.”

• While Milwaukee (46-26) has yet to officially clinch the No. 2 seed in the East, most around the NBA believe that is precisely where they will finish. Both Cleveland and New York may be too injured to overtake them.

Heat

Miami barely seemed to have a chance in the Warriors, as leading scorer Jimmy Butler was sidelined with an illness. But of course, there’s more.

The Heat also were without Tyler Herro (foot) for a 16th straight game, Kevin Love (heel) for a 14th straight and Duncan Robinson (back) for a fourth in a row.

• Miami (39-33) remains in seventh in the Eastern Conference, tied with the 76ers. The Heat own the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Heat are also just 1.5 back of the Pacers for the sixth spot in the East.
• Herro’s status is very much up in the air, as there’s no sense as to when he may be back, as our Ashish Mathur relayed here.

Magic

• Orlando could be in the market for a shooter or additional backcourt scorer this offseason, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
• “With Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs on rookie-scale contracts and Wendell Carter on a team-friendly deal, rival executives believe the Magic are a team to monitor this offseason to make a notable upgrade and improve their shooting,” Scotto wrote.