Damian Lillard scored 37 points and dished 12 assists as the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks defeated the host Miami Heat 106-103 in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.
Lillard made 10 of 17 shots, including 8 of 13 from 3-point range, as Milwaukee won a fifth straight game and its seventh in eight.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who leads the NBA in scoring (32.4 points per game), missed the game due to swelling in his left knee. In addition, three-time Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton has yet to play this season due to surgery on both of his ankles.
The Bucks, who are 3-0 in East Group B in the NBA Cup, never trailed in the game.
Miami, 1-2 in East Group B, was led by Jimmy Butler’s 23 points. Tyler Herro added 18. Terry Rozier returned after missing two games due to an injury to his right foot. He finished with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3 of 4 from deep.
Thanks to 17 points from Lillard, Milwaukee led 31-20 after the first quarter. Lillard made his first four 3-point attempts, and the Bucks shot 55 percent from the floor for the quarter.
Lillard scored eight points in the second quarter as the Bucks stretched their halftime lead to 65-51. Miami shot 56.2 percent in the second quarter, but Milwaukee was even better (59.1 percent).
In the third quarter, Milwaukee stretched its lead to 22 points. But Miami made a comeback, cutting the deficit to 85-80 by the end of the period. Lillard had 10 points in the third, but Milwaukee cooled off, shooting 46.2 percent.
Miami finally caught Milwaukee at 96-96 on Butler’s layup with 4:02 left in the game.
In the final minute, the Bucks, leading 104-103, seemed to get a 3-pointer by AJ Green. However, the shot was delivered just after the 24-second clock expired. That turnover occurred with five seconds left.
Miami then had a shot to take its first lead of the game, but Herro’s open 3-point attempt from the top of the key rimmed out. Milwaukee’s Taurean Prince grabbed the rebound and made two free throws for a 106-103 lead with 1.2 seconds left.
Miami then tried to send the game to overtime, but Rozier missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, ending the game.
–Field Level Media
