MIAMI — Small forward Khris Middleton scored 22 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks continued their recent mastery of the Miami Heat with a 91-79 victory Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Center Greg Monroe had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo added 14 points to lead the tall Milwaukee attack that gives Miami so much trouble.
The Bucks (19-25) have won five straight against the Heat, sweeping all four games last season. Milwaukee won its third consecutive game overall.
Miami lost its second game in a row. Center Hassan Whiteside had 23 points and 18 rebounds, and forward Chris Bosh added 23 points, but the Heat (23-19) fell to 6-8 at home against Eastern Conference teams this season.
Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade, playing with two sore shoulders, scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting. Point guard Tyler Johnson, starting in place of injured Goran Dragic, had three points and missed all six of his shots from the floor.
Johnson and Wade combined for five assists and eight turnovers.
This was Miami’s first home game after a 2-4 road trip. After Tuesday, the Heat leave again, this time for a five-game trip, and they don’t play in the same city in consecutive games during a month-plus span.
Perhaps that strain was felt in the first half as Miami trailed early. Milwaukee led 19-18 after the first quarter and 49-39 at halftime.
Miami’s shooting percentages were off — 35 percent in the first quarter and 30.4 percent in the second and 36.5 percent for the night.
Things got even better for Milwaukee in the third quarter as the Bucks went on an 18-2 run. Milwaukee led 75-57 after three quarters.
Miami failed to challenge in the fourth quarter, falling to 8-10 in its past 18 games. Milwaukee, meanwhile, is 6-4 this month after a slow start to the season.
NOTES: Heat G Tyler Johnson made his third start of the season. He started in place of PG Goran Dragic (left calf). … Miami was also without C Chris Andersen (left knee), PG Beno Udrih (neck) and F Josh McRoberts (right knee). … Bucks G O.J. Mayo (sore left hamstring) missed his third straight game. He sat out with the injury on Jan. 10, played two games and is now hurt again. … Bucks G Greivis Vasquez (ankle) hasn’t played since Nov. 27. … Bucks F Khris Middleton spent much of this past summer working with Heat SG Dwyane Wade. … There is no timetable for the return of Bucks coach Jason Kidd, who has been out since hip surgery on Dec. 21. Assistant Joe Prunty is the interim coach. … Milwaukee leads the NBA in points in the paint.