While it is not being talked about too much as a high-level first-round matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat vs. the Milwaukee Bucks series is definitely going to be thrilling and full of fireworks because of the “revenge” factor being tied into this NBA playoff series. 

Last year in the NBA Bubble, the Bucks had the best record in the NBA and had high aspirations to win a title, but then came the Miami Heat and they easily took care of the Bucks 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

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Now, after reloading during the offseason and adding some talent midseason, the Bucks are once again looking to make a deep run in the postseason, but they will have to get past the Miami Heat first. All season long, the Heat have been a team that has been up-and-down, but they also dealt with COVID-19 related problems for a while. 

In fact, the only player on their team who has played in all 72 games this year has been Duncan Robinson, who actually dealt with his own injury problems during the course of the regular season. With no Victor Oladipo, things may get a little more complicated for Miami, but they are still the defending Eastern Conference champions and will not be an easy team to beat. 

With plenty of All-Star-level talent in this series and the potential to go the distance, this Heat-Bucks series is definitely going to be one to keep an eye on in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have a real chance to win this series, but here are the four x-factor that could wind up deciding this series.