Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and hit the tiebreaking dunk with 71 seconds remaining as the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the Brooklyn Nets 129-125 on Monday night in New York.
Antetokounmpo shot 15 of 27 from the field and scored nine points in the final six-plus minutes to help the Bucks get their second straight win.
The Nets scored 12 straight points and took a 111-108 lead with 6:13 left on a basket by Cam Thomas, who led all scorers with 45 points.
Antetokounmpo sank his first 3 to tie the score 115-115 with 4:48 remaining and hit two free throws 26 seconds later for a 117-115 lead. After the Nets evened it at 123-all on a 15-footer by Mikal Bridges with 87 seconds left, Antetokounmpo soared in for a bucket to give the Bucks the lead for good.
After Thomas missed a 3 with 53 seconds left and Antetokounmpo blocked Dorian Finney-Smith with 28.6 seconds left, Damian Lillard sank three free throws in the final 23.7 seconds.
Lillard added 21 and seven assists for the Bucks, who shot 47.9 percent and hit 16 3s after missing their first six attempts. Khris Middleton and Jae Crowder chipped in 15 apiece for the Bucks.
Thomas finished two shy of his career as the Nets fell to 0-3 at home. Bridges added a season-high 31 for the Nets, who shot 48.5 percent and hit 16 3s.
Antetokounmpo scored 12 points but the Bucks allowed the Nets to shoot 52 percent and trailed 32-29 after the opening quarter. Lillard’s 3 put Milwaukee ahead 58-50 with 5:03 remaining but Brooklyn ended the half with a 17-5 run to get a 67-63 halftime lead.
The Nets opened an 87-79 lead when Thomas banked in a 30-foot 3 from the top of the key with 5:48 left but Milwaukee ended the third on a 17-7 run and took a 96-94 lead on Antetokounmpo’s dunk right before the horn.
Antetokounmpo converted another dunk for a 104-97 lead early in the fourth and found Bobby Portis for a layup to extend the lead to 108-99 with 9:16 left before taking his final rest.
–Field Level Media