MIAMI _ This is the version of the Miami Heat that drew the early-season acclaim.
The rendition that had six representatives during All-Star Weekend.
The one that had some viewing Erik Spoelstra's team as the most legitimate challenger to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, all of those possibilities were on display, as the Heat pushed past Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks 105-89.
That 1-5 western swing? On this night it felt like distant memory.
Those hideous recent losses to the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves? Apparently merely a matter of growing steeled to challenges ahead.
"Overall," Spoelstra said, "I thought the level of detail on both ends was one of our better performances of the season."
Like most of the Heat's recent games, there was a sizeable fourth-quarter lead, this time with the Heat moving to the game's largest lead to that point at 92-79 with 5:14 to play.
Unlike those recent games, the Heat this time left nothing to chance, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer emptying his bench with 3:42 to play at the Heat up 16.
The Heat limited the Bucks to .407 shooting from the field, 7 of 34 on threes.
"We've had moments, and that's what we've been trying to work on," Spoelstra said of the Heat defense. "We have it in us, a better version defensively.
"It always look better if you miss those threes, which they did."
As it was during those best of early-season times, it was ensemble success for the Heat. There were 18 points from Jimmy Butler, 18 from Jae Crowder, 15 from Goran Dragic and 14 from Bam Adebayo.
For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo closed with 13 points and 15 rebounds, with Brook Lopez leading Milwaukee with 21 points.
