Damian Lillard hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the final buzzer in overtime, securing a thrilling 143-142 victory for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Sacramento Kings during Sunday night’s NBA action.
Despite trailing by four points late in the overtime period, the Bucks closed the gap with Brook Lopez’s corner three-pointer, bringing the score to 141-140.
After De’Aaron Fox’s free throw, Lillard, in a planned play, received the inbound pass from Lopez and dashed across half-court. He then nailed a long-range shot, about 30 feet out, clinching the Bucks’ 15th straight win against the Kings amidst the roaring Fiserv Forum crowd.
Lillard revealed the initial play was meant for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Kings’ defense shifted, leading to Lopez’s involvement.
“Two guys ran to Giannis, and as soon as I looked up, Brook was already running toward me, and I knew that was what the play was going to get to eventually,” Lillard said.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks, De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings Updates
This game-winner marked Lillard’s 2,500th career 3-pointer in his inaugural season with the Bucks after an 11-year tenure with Portland.
“I just changed direction and got into space where I could get a good look at the rim. It was a pretty comfortable shot,” Lillard said. “These are the kinds of game that you don’t want to let them slip. It’s a quality win against a good team.”
Lillard, who led the Bucks with 29 points, described the shot as comfortable and emphasized the importance of seizing such close games. Antetokounmpo contributed a triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Malik Beasley and Bobby Portis scored 23 and 22 points, respectively.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks, De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings Updates
Fox led with 32 points for the Kings, and Domantas Sabonis recorded his 10th triple-double of the season. Sacramento mounted a late comeback to push the game into overtime.Bucks coach Adrian Griffin praised his team’s resilience, especially when trailing in overtime.
“It was like we had the game and they stole it from us and we took it back at the end,” Griffin said. “When they went up six (in overtime) it would have been easy for us to throw in the towel, but those guys are resilient. Probably one of our best wins of the season.”
Meanwhile, Kings coach Mike Brown was ejected in the fourth quarter for vehemently arguing with the referee, a moment that seemingly galvanized his team.
“The referees are human, and they’re going to make mistakes, but you just hope that there’s some sort of consistency and there’s some sort of communication between the refs,” Brown said. “The refs tonight, they were great, they communicated with me all night. But in terms of consistency, you guys saw it right here. In my opinion, the consistency wasn’t here tonight.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks, De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings Updates
Antetokounmpo, despite a shoulder contusion, played his 29th consecutive game, and the Bucks were without Khris Middleton due to rest. Kevin Heurter, returning from an ankle injury, scored 26 points for the Kings. The first half saw the Bucks shooting 63%, including 8-14 from beyond the arc, leading to a narrow 68-66 lead.
Up next, the Kings face the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, while the Bucks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
