First, LeBron James was dominated out with an ankle harm earlier than the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers even arrived at Fiserv Discussion board on Tuesday night time.
Then, the Bucks took 19-point leads within the first and fourth quarters.
It didn’t really feel like a double-overtime, back-and-forth thriller was anyplace close to the offing. However that’s what occurred because the Lakers rallied from these deficits to tug out a 128-124 comeback victory.
After from blowing a 94-75 lead within the remaining 8 minutes, 25 seconds of regulation, the Bucks had an opportunity to win it on the finish of regulation when Khris Middleton lobbed an inbound cross to Giannis Antetokounmpo. It is a play the duo might run with their eyes closed at this stage of their profession, and it hardly ever results in something apart from a dunk or free throws. However as Antetokounmpo tried to spin round Davis, he misplaced his steadiness. He recovered in time to catch the ball, however his solely try at a shot was a inventive layup try. It fell off the rim.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “I believe Khris threw the ball. I went as much as get the ball. I actually don’t’ need to get fined. I went as much as get the ball. For some motive I wasn’t in a position to get the ball and wasn’t in a position to finish the sport.”
Then in extra time, the Bucks had a 117-115 lead with 3.6 seconds left within the first extra time. However, they have been whistled for a foul and D’Angelo Russell tied the sport at 117 with 3.1 to go. Damian Lillard’s game-winning layup try was then blocked by Davis.
Within the second extra time, the Bucks had a 121-119 lead with 1:21 to go, however they have been known as for a foul and Spencer Dinwiddie tied the sport with two free throws with 1:17 left.
“We gotta belief our protection to play with out fouling,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers mentioned. “However, give them credit score. They have been attacking. They have been aggressive. And so they’re sensible. You’ll be able to see Reaves two or three groups (attain his arms out), Russell. They noticed our palms there, they noticed us reaching and so they took benefit of it.”
After Antetokounmpo missed a troublesome fadeaway over Davis off the entrance of the rim, the Bucks protection misplaced Austin Reaves who knocked down a set, wide-open three-pointer to present the Lakers a 124-121 lead.
“Miscommunication on pick-and-rolls,” Rivers mentioned. “It occurs. It simply shouldn’t at that time.”
After Lillard missed a three-pointer and Antetokounmpo missed two free throws, Russell knocked down two extra free throws for a 126-124 lead. Davis added two extra free throws for the ultimate margin.
“I believe it was extra on us for essentially the most half,” Middleton mentioned. “Simply gotta be higher, man. It was a type of video games. However, it’s a terrific recreation to study from.”
Free throw disparity favors Lakers
On the night time, the Bucks have been known as for 26 private fouls to the Lakers’ 13. Davis wasn’t known as for his first private foul till his 50th minute of the sport, which was within the second extra time.
The Bucks shot 17 free throws as a workforce, making 11 (64.7%). The Lakers, in contrast, have been a exceptional 30 of 32 general from the free throw line (93.8%).
However, Rivers and the Bucks weren’t about to put something on the toes of the officers.
“I do know I had a foul foul, I believe any individual else had a foul foul possibly,” Middleton mentioned of a few robust extra time whistles towards his workforce. “Simply gotta stick with self-discipline, gotta modify to what the refs are calling at our finish vs. the opposite.”
Added Lillard: I believe generally it’s identical to that. Some video games it’s like that. I did really feel prefer it was a number of instances the place we obtained known as for a foul and I used to be identical to man, it’s been a very long time since they known as one thing like that. There was a number of these varieties of calls. However no matter that I believe we have been up 19 with below 8 minutes to go within the recreation. For the workforce we’re, we gotta go forward and wrap that up and win this recreation. Typically the ball simply bounces totally different and while you don’t keep disciplined and do the issues that go into how we constructed that lead, these leads can go away fast on this league with the capturing that’s in his league, like they did tonight. And that was what occurred.
Lillard fouled out after scoring 27 factors on 9 of 29 capturing, together with 3 of 14 from behind the three-point line. Middleton had 5 fouls and scored 12 factors on 4 of 15 capturing and handed out seven assists.
Davis performed 52 of a attainable 58 minutes, scoring 34 factors on 12 of 31 capturing. He additionally had 23 rebounds and went 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Reaves had 29 factors, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Russell had 29 factors and went 10-for-10 from the free throw line. He added 12 assists.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 29 factors, 21 rebounds and 11 assists. He additionally had three blocks, two steals and 7 turnovers.
Malik Beasley had 21 factors and Bobby Portis added 18 off the bench for Milwaukee.
Fourth quarter bogs down Bucks
For about 46 minutes, it by no means actually felt just like the Bucks have been in peril of shedding their grip on the result of the sport. The Bucks led by as many as 19 within the first quarter, however the Lakers would ultimately whittle that all the way down to as few as six or seven over the second and third quarters.
But every time, the Bucks would reply with a key bucket coupled with stops and would lead by double figures in brief order. So even whereas the Lakers have been within the recreation, they by no means felt on the verge of taking it.
Till the Bucks helped them out with a ragged run of fourth quarter possessions that started after taking a 94-75 lead on the 8:25 mark.
Los Angeles went on a protracted 16-2 run that noticed Antetokounmpo flip it over thrice, however a Beasley bucket and a three-pointer by Middleton made it 101-93 with 3:08 to go it appeared as in the event that they as soon as once more stemmed the tide. However it was simply the third made shot in 10 tries.
“Wasn’t transferring the ball,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “Begin of the sport we moved the ball very well, facet to facet. There was lots of people that was touching the ball. I believe within the final couple minutes of the sport it was line one cross, shot. A number of iso recreation. Now, I don’t suppose that was the intention. They did job of simply enjoying good protection, switching, having us play one-on-one. We didn’t transfer the ball in any respect so we weren’t in a position to transfer them side-to-side, and in case you don’t transfer a workforce like that side-to-side it’s arduous to attain on them.”
However the Bucks wouldn’t rating once more, falling into the lure of isolation basketball and never transferring the ball. Antetokounmpo (0-for-3), Middleton (0-for-3) and Lillard (0-for-1) missed each shot down the stretch.
“I believed after we damage ‘em most the ball was transferring,” Lillard mentioned. “It was like first facet, second facet – the ball was dictating the place the shot was. I believe down the stretch all of us sort of held onto it a little bit bit extra. I do know I held on to it a little bit bit greater than I most likely ought to have at instances. Similar factor with Khris and I believe with Giannis. All of us simply sort of wished to proper the ship and was making an attempt to be aggressive and assault and I believe it ended up hurting us ultimately.”
That allowed the Lakers to outscore them 27-13 and ultimately tie the sport to ship it to extra time. When requested if it is tough to restart the ball motion in a scenario like that, Lillard acknowledged that it may be.
“I’ve been in that scenario a ton, the place it’s an in depth recreation, the workforce has momentum and I’m like ‘I’m about to pause this (expletive), ?” he mentioned. “I’m about to make one thing occur and we’re gonna get one thing of high quality. And Giannis has achieved the identical factor. Khris has achieved the identical factor. ‘Beas’ is a giant shotmaker. Bobby is a giant shotmaker. I believe we sort of simply had that mentality and like I mentioned, it simply cam again to harm us as a result of on the flipside with the quantity of expertise that we’ve got on our workforce and figuring out the blokes that we’ve got that may make that shot, is much more of the rationale why we should always simply belief the way in which that we had been enjoying as a result of it’s going to finish up in any individual’s palms that might make the shot – besides it most likely would’ve been the next high quality shot. That’s the one factor that we might’ve achieved in that scenario.”
Extra:How Giannis Antetokounmpo realized to recover from himself to play the perfect basketball of his profession
First quarter the way in which the Bucks need to play
Towards Oklahoma Metropolis, the Bucks turned the sport within the third quarter once they compelled the Thunder into 13 straight missed area objectives to open the quarter. Towards Los Angeles, the Bucks set the tone proper from the start of the sport.
The Lakers missed their first 5 pictures, then 9 of 10, then 13 of 15 after which 15 of 19.
Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s six defensive rebounds, Milwaukee cleaned the glass and constructed a 29-10 lead over the primary 9 minutes of the quarter.
“We did what was working (vs. Oklahoma Metropolis), tonight we simply couldn’t get again to enjoying with tempo,” Middleton mentioned. “It suppose that’s simply the factor I can from essentially the most. Once we constructed the lead we have been enjoying with tempo, enjoying quick, obtained extensive open pictures. Second half they slowed us a down a little bit bit, a little bit extra bodily. Nonetheless obtained nice appears, however wasn’t the identical appears.”
It was a margin they wanted all of because the Lakers by no means folded and ultimately compelled extra time.
Malik Beasley comes up large
Bucks capturing guard Malik Beasley helped pressure extra time by doing his finest Brook Lopez impression on a D’Angelo Russell drive with simply 13.2 seconds left in regulation, blocking Russell’s shot. Doc Rivers then challenged the preliminary ruling that the ball went off the Bucks, giving Milwaukee an opportunity to win the sport on the finish of regulation.
Then in extra time, Beasley hit 2 three-pointers – together with a game-tying triple with 1:28 to go to assist the Bucks attain a second further session.
Extra:LeBron James ultimately obtained round ‘The Wall.’ Can Giannis Antetokounmpo do the identical?
Did you discover?
With backup level guard Pat Beverley out with a wrist harm, AJ Inexperienced was the primary off the bench to sub for Damian Lillard within the remaining minute of the primary quarter. The Bucks, in fact, have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton to additionally deal with the ball so it’s not like they have been hurting in that regard with out Beverley.
However, Pat Connaughton did play as extra of a facilitator and tied a career-high with 9 assists.
5 numbers
2-2 Bucks document in extra time video games this season.
6 Straight turnovers by the groups late within the third quarter as they gave the ball forwards and backwards over a minute of play. The run ended when Jae Crowder hit a three-pointer to present the Bucks a 84-71 lead.
9 Triple-doubles this season by Giannis Antetokounmpo, including to his profession excessive. It is usually the 44th of his profession, transferring him into sole possession of 12th all-time.
202 Three-pointers made this season by Malik Beasley, becoming a member of Damian Lillard with a minimum of 200 on the yr. Previous to this yr’s beginning backcourt, Ray Allen was the one participant in franchise historical past to achieve that mark with 202 in 2000-01 and a document 229 in 2001-02. Lillard has 207 made threes. Beasley eclipsed Allen’s document of video games with a minimum of 5 three-pointers earlier within the season as he now has 17.
21,015 Profession factors for Damian Lillard, as he turned simply the forty first participant in NBA historical past to achieve the 21,000-point mark.