The Heat survived the NBA Play-In Tournament with a win over the Bulls on Friday to clinch a playoff spot. Their reward? A series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
This year marks the Greek Freak's tenth season in the NBA — and it may be his best to date. He worked his way into the MVP conversation by averaging a career-high 31.1 points per game, along with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. His dominance helped Milwaukee clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the third time in the last five years.
Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton round out Giannis' supporting cast. All of them have plenty of postseason experience, with the Bucks advancing to at least the second round of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. If all goes well, that trend looks set to continue this year.
It has been an underwhelming season so far for Miami, with the Heat needing a victory against the Bulls in a win-or-go-home game to punch their playoff ticket. The team's core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro hasn't reached the heights many expected after two Eastern Conference Finals appearances in the last three years. With that said, this is a talented roster that is capable of going toe-to-toe with any team in the NBA.
Last time these two teams met in the playoffs, the Bucks swept the Heat in 2021 on their way to an NBA Championship. Will history repeat itself this year?
Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 NBA Playoff series between Milwaukee and Miami, including the game dates, TV schedule, live stream info and a full playoff bracket:
PREVIEW: Can the Heat keep up with Giannis and the Bucks?
Bucks vs. Heat schedule, scores, results
The Bucks (58-24) edged out the Celtics by a single game this season to earn the top seed in the East. They finished a whopping 14 games ahead of the Heat (44-38) in the standings. Miami had to survive the Play-in Tournament to clinch the conference's final playoff spot.
Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 of the series will be played in Milwaukee while Games 3, 4 and 6 will be played in Miami.
The complete schedule for Bucks vs. Heat is below.
| Date | Game | Time (ET)/Result | TV channel |
| April 16 | Game 1 | Heat 130, Bucks 117 | — |
| April 19 | Game 2 | Bucks 138, Heat 122 | — |
| April 22 | Game 3 | Heat 121, Bucks 99 | — |
| April 24 | Game 4 | 7:30 p.m. at Heat | TNT |
| April 26 | Game 5 | 9:30 p.m. at Bucks | NBA TV |
| April 28 | Game 6* | TBD at Heat | TBD |
| April 30 | Game 7* | TBD at Bucks | TBD |
* If necessary
How to watch Bucks vs. Heat
- TV channels: TNT, NBA TV, ESPN
- Live streaming: TNTdrama.com, ESPN+, YouTube TV, Sling TV
The first three games of the Milwaukee vs. Miami series will air on TNT, NBA TV and ESPN in that order. The TV schedule for the remaining four games has yet to be released. Live streams will be available on TNTdrama.com for Game 1 and ESPN+ for Game 3. All three games will be available to stream on YouTube TV and Sling TV.
Fans in the U.S. can watch the NBA's biggest playoff games on Sling TV, which is now offering HALF OFF your first month! Stream Sling Orange for $20 in your first month to catch all the games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $27.50 in your first month. Local regional blackout restrictions apply.
SIGN UP FOR SLING: English | Spanish
NBA Playoffs 2023 bracket
The winner of Bucks vs. Heat will face the winner of Cavaliers vs. Knicks in the second round of the playoffs.
