MIAMI (AP)-MLS final tape is hope for the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night took off his long-awaited word that comes from when they played the Miami Heat.
They do not hurt and the liquidation of Miami dealing a blow enough.
John Salmons scored 17 points before leaving late in the game with an injury that needed 12 stitches head, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Bucks defeated the Heat 90-85 an hour after being eliminated from the playoffs.
"We knew that sooner or later, which would, but that tells you where we stand together as a team as competitive as well," Bucks forward Drew Gooden said.
The Bucks trailed only 9 minutes, 46 seconds against the Heat, who won 3-0 against Milwaukee this season.
And just because the Bucks are out does not mean they have no voice in running the Eastern Conference: Beat the Heat a new half-game behind Boston in the race for the No. two seed in the Eastern Conference.
"Nobody said it would be easy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
It's a good thing.
Although Miami (54-24) wins its last four games, must be the Celtics to lose at least twice in order to move in the standings. Boston holds the tiebreaker over the fire and won all three meetings this season and is the fourth Sunday in Miami.
Carlos Delfino 3-pointer with 24 seconds helped seal for the Bucks, who got 14 points from Corey Maggette and 10 Keyon Dooling .
LeBron James scored 29 points for Miami, which played without injured guard Dwyane Wade , No. 3 scorer in the NBA. Chris Bosh added 18 for the Heat, who had no other double-digit range.
Miami takes only 41 percent, and its 16 turnovers led to 18 points for Milwaukee.
"Every time you play, will be a grind it out tough matches," said James. "They do very physical. ... I've played against teams of Scott Skiles, when I was in Chicago and now in Milwaukee, and is always the same effort."
The Bucks were officially eliminated when Indiana defeated Washington. The Pacers closed the last available spot in the playoffs is the last Wednesday, when Orlando beat Charlotte in overtime.
Thus, the Bucks became the spoiler, and the role to perfection.
"You do not want to take anything away from him," Skiles said. "The reality is that we eliminated tonight."
The change in the fifth and final lead came with 2:27 left when Delfino hit a 3-pointer for a lead of 81-79.
With the power Milwaukee to four, James was in Miami for the next three points, but the Heat lost the opportunity to take the lead when Mike Bibby was applied for viewing illegal 41 seconds remaining. Delfino March 3-pointer came 17 seconds later, the judge in Miami.
"It 'was a blow that gave me confidence and I have all my teammates, coaches and everything," said Delfino. "And I just did."
Down to 14 in the first half, Miami has a range with 3:56 remaining immersed Joel Anthony (notes). Milwaukee took the following four points, making it 45-40.
It 'been so for about 30 minutes in real time, in any case.
Neither team scored at 2:45 of the final half of the Bucks were 0-6 during that period, Miami 0-5 after the break, finished drought James with a 18-feet at 11:02 left in the third.
Milwaukee's drought lasted another 1:33, broken only when Delfino shot beat the clock with a 3-pointer that put the Bucks up 48-44. It was a theme of much of the night: When the heat had the chance to take the lead, they usually came up empty, seven possessions as in the second and third quarters.
Then in the fourth round in Miami from 7 to 21, with Bosh missing six of his nine shots, four of six James sound. Perhaps this shows how much they missed Wade, the Heat backcourt from Wednesday Bibby and James Jones not only failed to score in the fourth quarter, but not even attempt a shot.
"We must give credit to their defense," Bosh said. "They play good defense. ... It will be such sometimes."
