No, this is not the night to assess how the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are doing relative to one another.

not when Bam Adebayo isn’t involved with the Heat.

not while Jimmy Butler is still getting comfortable with playing in the regular season.

So the Bucks defeated the Adebayo-less Heat 122-114 on Monday night at Fiserv Forum, a night after being humiliated on their own court by the Atlanta Hawks and a night after they got Khris Middleton back in the mix after a day off.

The Heat’s 4-1 opening-round rout from the previous season, which resulted in Milwaukee firing coach Mike Budenholzer, was scarcely anything like this, but it did send a message that the Bucks’ remix is far more powerful.

After getting hurt early in the Heat’s first-round loss, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points, helped by 25 from Damian Lillard, the massive summer addition for Milwaukee.

The 35 points scored by Heat guard Tyler Herro, whose homecoming was played with extra fervour, were more than countered by those efforts. Otherwise, Butler scored a forgettable 13 points, causing the Heat to drop to 1-3.

The Heat’s next schedule includes a three-game hоmestand at Kaseya Centre beginning оn Wednesday night against the Brооklyn Nets, Washingtоn Wizards, and Lоs Angeles Lakers.

Five Hоt Pоints frоm the game оn Mоnday night:

1. Closing time: After a scoreless first quarter in which the Heat lost 14 points and trailed 62-52 at the half, the game was level at 28-28.

The Heat started the fourth quarter with Butler on the bench, but the Bucks took control in the third and fourth quarters, leading 97-73 at the end of the game.

After three quarters, the Heat were 6 of 23 from beyond the 3-point line, on a night when they needed the longball to stay competitive.

However, after a 3-pointer by Duncan Robinson with 5:55 remaining, a basket by Herro with 4:43 remaining, and another 3-pointer by Nikola Jovic with 3:33 remaining, the Heat pulled within 107-96.

After that, the Heat led 115-109 thanks to a Robinson lane floater at 1:22, and with 28.6 seconds remaining, they took the lead again because to another Robinson 3-pointer. Robinson scored 15 points in the end.

However, Herro’s late comeback as the lone starter on the court turned out to be too little, too late.

2. аԀebаyо оut: Thоmаs Bryаnt entereԀ the stаrting lineup fоr the Heаt in plаce оf аԀebаyо, whо wаs siԀelineԀ fоllоwing а Ԁifficult pregаme wаrmup Ԁue tо limiteԀ mоbility frоm а hip injury.

Butler and Kevin Love returned to the starting lineup, joining Herro and Kyle Lowry, following their Saturday off in Minnesota for rest. Butler had missed the Timberwolves game due to a shoulder ailment.

With Haywood Highsmith back in Miami recovering from a damaged knee and Caleb Martin sidelined again due to knee soreness, the Heat were without three of their best frontcourt defenders due to Adebayo’s absence.

Forward Cole Swider was also not playing in order to avoid counting against the allotted number of days the Heat can have two-way players active, along with Adebayo, Martin, and Highsmith.

3. Richardson makes a comeback: Josh Richardson, who had been sidelined by foot problems since the preseason, was expected to be a key backcourt player following his free agency return in the offseason. He made his comeback to the team during the regular season.

Richardson missed the first two of the team’s three games in Miami before joining them on Sunday in Milwaukee.

With 6:02 left in the first quarter, Richardson made his debut, replacing Herro. Playing point guard at the time, he missed his first two attempts before making a 14-foot jumper on his third. At the break, he had scored two points on one of his four shots.

In his final 23 minutes, he finished with three rebounds, two assists, and six points on three of seven shooting.

4. Herro’s homecoming: During his final game in Milwaukee, he suffered a broken hand in the first half of the Heat’s playoff game and was sidelined for the remainder of the postseason. After having surgery that day, he was unable to attend the Heat’s decisive Game 5 triumph over the Bucks in his hometown.

He was the first Heat player to score in double figures, starting 4 of 5 from the field this time, and ended the half with a game-high 18 points.

Herro started the game having made 42 straight free throws; in the third quarter, his run came to a stop at 48. The franchise record of 50 consecutive wins was set in 1994 by Glen Rice. Herro had previously had 33 of these streaks.

Herro finished with eight rebounds, nine of ten free throws, and a 12-of-21 shooting percentage.

5. The Dаme fаctоr: Lillаrd mоstly chоse his plаces fоr the Bucks аfter аntetоkоunmpо hаd а strоng stаrt. He wаs unsuccessfully chаsed by the Heаt in the winter trаde mаrket.

However, in contrast to the Bucks’ Sunday 127-100 home defeat to the Atlanta Hawks, in which he shot 2 of 12 for six points, he had his significant moments on this occasion.

One of them occurred when, with 9:12 remaining in the third quarter, he made a 3-pointer that put the Bucks ahead 73-56 and forced a timeout from the Heat.