MILWAUKEE -- A short time after the final buzzer sounded on his best, and most important performance in a Miami Heat uniform, Kevin Love sat in the visitor's locker room at Fiserv Forum with his feet in a bucket of ice and a towel draped over his shoulders.
Though he appeared as cool and unbothered as ever, it was clear his 18-point, eight-rebound effort in the Heat's surprise 130-117 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their first-round series was not just another game.
"It's very meaningful," Love said. "This is something I still thought I was capable of, so to come out and have a game like this, and, again, just contribute. That was the biggest thing for me, to contribute, make these guys lives' easier, stretch the floor, allow Jimmy [Butler] and Bam [Adebayo] and Tyler [Herro] -- sucks he went down -- to operate and get to their spots. I was able to do that. Felt like I was in a good rhythm and defensively in the right spots to rebound the basketball. So again, those contributions were big tonight, but I felt throughout our entire lineup guys played a great game so I was happy to be a part of that."
After losing his spot in the rotation in the middle of the season, Love's memorable nine-year run with the Cleveland Cavaliers came to an end in February when the two sides agreed to a buyout. A few days later, he signed with the Heat for the remainder of the season.
Every year when buyout season comes around in the NBA, there's a bunch of hoopla about contenders adding veterans, but most of the time those players don't actually end up mattering all that much come the postseason. Those players, though, are usually not five-time All-Stars like Kevin Love. The veteran forward may be past his prime, but he still has a few specific skills that he can perform at a high level and which, more importantly, are useful in the playoffs: 3-point shooting and rebounding. That he's won a title, played in the Finals three times and is completely comfortable on this stage is a bonus.
"It was a positional and team fit for us; so much of this league is about fit and timing regardless of the player and situation," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "For us there was a need for a guy like Kevin and it happened just at the right time. He's had to figure things out, but he's an experienced veteran player that truly cares about winning. Those guys figure out how to fit in and compliment what you're doing. That's what he's done.
"There was a clamness to him, a competitive fire to him. That's a hard balance to have both of those things and he knocked down some big ones to keep their defense honest."
Love was always going to play a role for the Heat no matter their opponent, but his ability to space the floor is even more important against the Bucks, who play drop coverage in the pick-and-roll and will always prioritize protecting the rim over the perimeter. That can be a dangerous strategy against a big man who can shoot the ball like Love did in Game 1.
He went 4-of-7 from downtown, which not only helped the Heat, one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league in the regular season, win the 3-point battle against the Bucks, but opened up more driving lines for Jimmy Butler and Co. When he was in the game, the Bucks' bigs either had to concede the shot or step further out from the basket where they aren't as comfortable.
Take a look at this possession in the first quarter, when Love isn't in the game. Butler comes off a dribble handoff and the Bucks have three defenders in the paint, so he's forced to take a tough baseline jumper, which he misses.
Compare that to this trip down the floor in the second quarter, when Love is in the game. Lopez has to stay attached to Love on the perimeter, which means when Butler beats Jrue Holiday off the dribble there's no one there to contest his shot and he gets an easy layup.
"Listen, I haven't been known for my defense but having to guard guys that can shoot the ball as a 4 or a 5, it's really hard to guard," Love said. "Plus it takes a rebounder, and in some cases like with Brook, a shot-blocker away from the basket. When we play a small-ball 5 or they play a couple bigs in there, it's a luxury having a guy that can shoot it."
If the Heat want to build on their Game 1 win and pull off what would be a stunning upset, they'll need more performances like this from Love, especially now that Tyler Herro is out for the series with a broken hand. Love will have his chances with how the Bucks play defense, but as he said numerous times on Sunday, it's all about knocking those shots down.
Since he arrived in Miami, Love has struggled to shoot the ball (29.7 percent entering Game 1), but for his career has been a reliable marksman in both the regular season (37 percent) and playoffs (40.4 percent). There's certainly a world where he stays hot and helps replace some of Herro's offensive production. If he does, it wouldn't surprise anyone in the locker room.
"I've been playing against Kevin a long time," Kyle Lowry told CBS Sports. "I knew what he was gonna do and I expected him to do it, so it's pretty cool to be a part of it."
