Bucks clear further breathing room in East with win over Heat

There is no holding down the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks dropped to .500 on Sunday with their third loss in four games, but, as has been the case for most of the season, head coach Jason Kidd didn't let his young squad stumble for long. Milwaukee was right back to being the long, aggressive and pesky opponent they've come to be known as this season, frustrating the Miami Heat in a 109-102 road victory on Tuesday.

Most of the attention may have gone to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, but the Bucks and Heat had a fun showdown, even if it was marred by yet another hamstring injury for Dwyane Wade.

Wade had 12 points and four assists in 19 minutes before leaving, but a thin bench thanks to the absence of Luol Deng couldn't help pick up the slack in his stead. Chris Bosh (26 points) and Mario Chalmers (21 points, eight assists) sure tried, and Hassan Whiteside continued his 2015 Flex Tour with 16 points and 16 rebounds, but the Bucks' depth and balance proved too much.

Milwaukee had seven players score in double-figures and all 10 who hit the floor scored. They shot 54.9 percent from the floor as a team, taking a narrow edge in threes, free throws and rebounds to secure the win. Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton shared the team-high with 17 points and Jerryd Bayless added 15 with seven assists off the bench.

With the win, the Bucks move to 23-22, clearing a full three games between themselves and Miami in the Eastern Conference standings. With their third win in as many tries over the Heat, they've also secured the tiebreaker in the head-to-head. 

That means the Bucks are moving closer to assuring themselves a top-six seed, and their edge on a playoff spot has increased to four-and-a-half games. Miami, meanwhile, remains a favorite to secure a spot despite their 20-25 mark, largely due to attrition in the spots below them.