Milwaukee’s 20-2 run to close the game still falls just short
Trying to top their season-high 19-point comeback two days ago, the Milwaukee Bucks very nearly defeated this season’s nemesis, the Brooklyn Nets with a feverish comeback in the closing minutes, but came up just short. Giannis had 27 for Milwaukee to lead all scorers, while Cam Johnson was Brooklyn’s high man with 26.
Game Recap
A combined 2/10 start didn’t affect the Bucks too much, who were up 13-5 early thanks to Khris Middleton’s first dunk of the season. However, Brooklyn soon answered with an 18-6 run, jumping ahead at the 3:34 mark. A lineup with four bench players and Giannis struggled on both ends, turning it over three times in the closing minutes, so Milwaukee was in a 30-23 hole after the first.
Down 10 with three starters back in, the Bucks started getting cooked by Cam Thomas, who scored 12 in just five minutes off the Nets bench. Brooklyn’s lead expanded to 15 as Milwaukee’s turnover woes (15 Brooklyn points off eight giveaways) persisted, with some poor rim protection (32 Brooklyn points in the paint) to boot. Andre Jackson Jr. was ejected after committing a flagrant-two with 10 seconds left in the half by hitting Nic Claxton with an open hand as he picked him up midcourt. Despite hitting a few more triples to inch closer, the Bucks trailed 66-54 going into the locker room.
Ryan Rollins took AJax’s place in the starting lineup out of the half, but Brooklyn padded their lead to 24 with a 14-2 run. Multiple defensive breakdowns resulted in Nets cutters getting behind the defense for easy buckets and another three turnovers that led to seven more Brooklyn points. However, a late 12-0 Bucks run cut it to 10 points, fueled by a personal 10-0 run by a red-hot Gary Trent Jr. A Rollins putback with 1.1 seconds left made it 94-85 Nets entering the final frame.
Lillard re-entered, followed shortly after by Middleton, but the new lineup struggled to generate much offense. Meanwhile, every bounce and loose ball was going the Nets’ way as a 10-2 run quickly granted them a 17-point edge. The Bucks also racked up shooting and loose ball fouls and once again fell behind by 21. Doc Rivers dusted off Pat Connaughton and MarJon Beauchamp alongside Dame, Giannis, and Portis. But that was no white flag, and we’d get a crazy finish. That lineup somehow managed to go on an 11-0 run to make it a 10-point game with 3:16 left. They’d get it to six with two minutes left, and a Dame three cut it to three with 1:06 remaining. Dame’s lay-in made it a one-point game with 37.1 on the game clock. This totaled a 20-0 run. A successful challenge gave the Bucks the ball with the shot clock off. However, Giannis’ lay-in with six seconds left rimmed out. Milwaukee then had to play the free throw game and had not one but two chances to force overtime with a three. Dame predictably got each shot but missed them both.
Stat That Stood Out
On a night where the Bucks did many things poorly, one still sticks out like a sore thumb: a 27-8 Nets advantage on points off turnovers. While Brooklyn actually equaled Milwaukee in the turnover department (each team had 14), they scored nearly every time when they ended up with a loose ball.
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