MILWAUKEE — Staring at a double-digit deficit midway through the fourth quarter without LeBron James available, Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers faced a clear choice.
“It was one of those moments that you could either flip the page to tomorrow, get ready for that game or you could go out and compete 110% and give yourself an opportunity or at least try to give yourself an opportunity to get back in the game,” Reaves said.
The Lakers chose the latter option and delivered a comeback for the ages.
Reaves had his second career triple-double and made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 38.6 seconds left in the second overtime as the Lakers overcame James' absence and rallied to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-124 on Tuesday night.
Reaves had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in 47 minutes as the Lakers opened a six-game trip by winning their fourth straight despite trailing by 19 points in the fourth quarter and never leading in regulation. Anthony Davis provided 34 points and 23 rebounds while playing 52 minutes despite dealing with a knee problem late in the game.
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“A 20-point lead in this league now, it’s nothing because of the way the offense is right now in the league, so high-powered that you can wipe away a lead pretty fast,” Davis said.
The Lakers won't have much time to celebrate their stunning comeback. They're playing again Wednesday at Memphis.
Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points, a season-high 21 rebounds and 11 assists for his ninth triple-double of the season. Damian Lillard scored 27 but shot 9 of 29. Malik Beasley added 21.
James had an issue with his left ankle that prevented him from being available as the Lakers opened a six-game trip. James also had missed the Lakers’ 123-122 victory over the Bucks on March 8.
The Lakers still found a way to beat Milwaukee again.
“We've got to watch this game, learn from this game,” Antetokounmpo said. “Watch why we weren't able to get a stop. Watch why the ball wasn't moving down the stretch. Watch why we lost the game. Watch why there was a lot of 50-50 balls and we weren't able to get them.”
D'Angelo Russell had 29 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura added 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The exhaustion of both teams was apparent as nobody scored in the first three minutes of the second overtime. The Lakers briefly trailed by two in the second OT, but pulled ahead for good on Reaves’ last-minute 3-pointer.
After Antetokounmpo missed two free throws with 24.2 seconds left, Russell hit two free throws to make it 126-121 with 14.7 seconds remaining, Beasley made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two, but Davis hit two free throws with 1.7 seconds left to seal the victory.
The Lakers never led until Spencer Dinwiddie sank a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:19 left in the first overtime.
From there, the game went back and forth.
Lillard's corner 3-pointer put Milwaukee ahead with 13.6 seconds left in the first overtime, but Russell drew a foul and hit both free throws to tie with 3.1 seconds remaining.
Davis blocked Lillard on a driving layup attempt to force a second overtime.
Milwaukee seemed firmly in control for most of the night.
After a Lillard jumper with 8:25 left gave the Bucks a 94-75 advantage — matching their largest lead of the game — the Lakers outscored the Bucks 26-7 the rest of the fourth quarter to force overtime.
“Sometimes the ball just bounces different, and if you don't stay disciplined and do the things that go into how we built that lead, those leads can go away quick in this league with the shooting that's in the league, like they did tonight," Lillard said. "That's what happened.”
Taurean Prince drew a foul with 43.9 seconds remaining and made both free throws to tie the game. Both teams had a chance to win it at the end of the fourth quarter but couldn’t convert.
Up next
The Bucks play next at New Orleans on Thursday.
5 greatest Milwaukee Bucks seasons of all time
5 greatest Milwaukee Bucks seasons of all time
As the regular season nears its conclusion, the Milwaukee Bucks are in prime position atop the Eastern Conference.
With the league’s best record, the Bucks recently became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth. Anchored by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star Jrue Holiday, the Bucks have won 21 of their last 23 games prior to March 16.
They were the first team to 50 wins this season and are among the best teams offensively and defensively, and in rebounding. The team has potential to win its third championship in franchise history and make a return to the NBA Finals for the first time since winning in 2021.
Here are the five best Bucks seasons of all time.
66-16, NBA champions 1970-71
The dynamic duo of center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and guard Oscar Robertson guided the Bucks to the franchise’s first NBA title in the team’s third season.
Larry Costello coached the Bucks to a franchise-record 66 victories as Abdul-Jabbar won the MVP in his second season. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 31.7 points and 16.0 rebounds. While blocks weren’t an official stat yet, Abdul-Jabbar was adept at patrolling the paint as the focal point of the defense.
The 32-year-old Robertson was acquired in the offseason from the Cincinnati Royals and immediately added superb versatility to the lineup. Robertson was the ideal complement to Abdul-Jabbar and averaged 19.4 points, 8.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the contributions of small forward Bob Dandridge shouldn’t be forgotten. The 23-year-old Dandridge was a vital third cog, averaging 18.4 and 8.0 rebounds.
The Bucks reeled off a then-record 20 consecutive victories in the regular season. They were dominant on both ends of the court and led the league in points (118.4) and offensive rating (103.9). The Bucks were tops in defensive rating (93.1) and held opponents to 106.2 points (third fewest).
The Bucks blitzed through the postseason with a 12-2 mark as they beat the Warriors and Lakers in five games, followed by a sweep vs. the Washington Bullets. Abdul-Jabbar was selected as Finals MVP when he averaged 27.0 points and 18.5 rebounds.
46-26, NBA champions 2020-21
Capped off by a historic 50-point performance by Antetokounmpo, the Bucks won the franchise’s first NBA title in 50 years.
Antetokounmpo amassed 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in Game 6 as the Bucks completed a comeback from down two games in the NBA Finals to defeat the Phoenix Suns. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 blocks to secure Finals MVP.
Shooting guard Khris Middleton was masterful vs. the Suns with 24.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Holiday also rose to the occasion with 16.7 points, 9.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
The championship was even sweeter for the Bucks when considering the postseason regression during the previous two seasons and rumors of coach Mike Budenholzer being on the hot seat.
Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVPs as the Bucks won 116 games over those two seasons. However, the Bucks lost to the Toronto Raptors in six games in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals and then fell to the Miami Heat in five games in the semifinals during the bubble playoffs in 2020.
With a 46-26 record but on a mission this time around, the Bucks swept the Heat in the first round, edged the Brooklyn Nets in seven games in the second round, and beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the Eastern Conference.
It appeared the dream season wouldn’t have a happy ending when the Suns took the 2-0 series lead. Yet, Antetokounmpo cemented himself as one of the greatest players of his generation and the Bucks finally fulfilled their potential.
59-23, NBA Finals, 1973-74
This was Abdul-Jabbar’s penultimate season with the Bucks and the franchise’s last NBA Finals appearance before a 47-year drought. Despite a memorable game-winning hook shot by Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6, the Bucks lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
He drained the classic shot with 3 seconds remaining in double overtime to propel the Bucks to a 102-101 road victory in one of the most exciting games in NBA history. Abdul-Jabbar led all players in the Finals with 32.6 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
In the Western Conference playoffs, the Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the semifinals and then swept the Chicago Bulls in the conference finals after a 59-23 season and Midwestern Division championship.
It was another stellar season for Abdul-Jabbar with averages of 27.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 blocks. With the 35-year-old Robertson on the decline, Dandridge stepped up as the running mate for Abdul-Jabbar with 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds.
57-25, Eastern Conference Finals, 1985-86
When the Bucks transitioned into the Eastern Conference beginning in 1980-81, it signaled a new era for the franchise.
Abdul-Jabbar remained in the West as a member of the Showtime Lakers, winning five more championships alongside point guard Magic Johnson. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics were the cream of the crop in the East as forward Larry Bird spearheaded three titles for the iconic franchise.
However, coach Don Nelson’s frisky Bucks were a viable Eastern Conference contender during the decade. The Bucks became the first team to sweep the Celtics when they won all four games in the semifinals in 1982-83.
Shooting guard Sidney Moncrief fueled the Bucks to seven consecutive seasons with at least 50 victories, including a 60-win campaign in 1980-81.
During the 1985-86 season, the Bucks were 57-25 to win the Central Division for the sixth year in a row. The Bucks’ offense finished fourth in offensive rating (111.4) and fifth in points (114.5). Defensively, the Bucks were second in the league in defensive rating (102.7) and fifth in points (105.5).
The 28-year-old Moncrief averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals. Moncrief was flanked by 27-year-old swingman Paul Pressey (14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 2.1 steals) and 24-year-old forward Terry Cummings (19.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals).
The Bucks swept the Nets in three games in the first round. Then the Bucks got revenge on Moses Malone and the Philadelphia 76ers, who swept them in the second round the previous season. The Bucks outlasted the 76ers in seven games in the second round as the Celtics awaited in the conference finals.
Moncrief battled a foot injury during the postseason that began vs. the Nets and resulted in him missing games and not being 100%.
To make matters even more challenging, the Bucks collided with not just one of the best Celtics squads ever, but one of the greatest in league history. The iconic frontcourt trio of Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish added former Finals MVP Bill Walton into the fold and rattled off 67 victories in the regular season.
The Celtics swept the Bucks and knocked off the Rockets in six in the Finals.
60-22 Eastern Conference Finals, 2018-19
It didn’t result in a championship but the 2018-19 campaign set the foundation for the return to annual contention for the Bucks during Budenholzer’s first season at the helm.
The spry 24-year-old Antetokounmpo came of age to capture his first MVP and lead the Bucks to a 61-21 record, the best in the East. Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
Middleton (18.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.3 apg), Eric Bledsoe (15.9 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.5 spg), and Malcolm Brogdon (15.6 pppg), as well as center Brook Lopez (12.5 ppg, 2.2 bpg) provided a strong supporting cast for Antetokounmpo.
With the Greek Freak unleashed, the Bucks played at the second-fastest pace in the league (103.3) and led the league in points (118.1). They were also stout defensively and ranked first in defensive rating (105.2).
In the playoffs, the Bucks dominated the first two rounds with a sweep vs. the Detroit Pistons followed by beating the Celtics in five games in the semifinals. Yet, the season came to an end in the conference finals in six games to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors.
Despite the disappointing playoff ending, this was the fifth 60-win season in Bucks history. Budenholzer was selected as the coach of the year and Jon Horst was named executive of the year.