Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks shook off any All-Star break hangover in a hurry.
Antetokounmpo on Thursday scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and Khris Middleton hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds as the NBA-leading Bucks held off the Boston Celtics 98-97.
On the second-to-last possesion, Marcus Smart forced a jump ball with Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo tipped the jump to Brook Lopez, who deflected it toward the basket, but missed as the shot clock expired.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The referees huddled during the timeout and put 3.5 seconds on the clock for the Celtics.
Crew chief Mike Callahan explained the call to a pool reporter after the game.
“With 0.2 seconds, the 24-second clock did not start until Lopez possessed the ball,” Callahan said. “When he possesses the ball, you cannot have a legal shot attempt with 0.2 on the shot clock.”
Callahan explained that “a legal tip play can occur with 0.1 or 0.2 of a second.”
Smart inbounded the ball over the towering Lopez and dropped a pass into Kyrie Irving’s hands at the top of the key. With Eric Bledsoe draped all over him, Irving drove the lane, seemed to stumble and missed an awkward shot as time expired.
The Bucks won the season series 2-1, their first over the Celtics since 2014-2015.
The Celtics drew up a final play that put the ball in Irving’s hands.
“Kyrie with the ball. That’s what we wanted,” Al Horford said. “Get the ball in Kyrie’s hands. Let him create. I felt like we put ourselves in a good position there.”
Irving was philosophical.
“It happens,” Irving said. “Just part of the break, and coming off and playing the first game, getting the cold ones out.”
Antetokounmpo added 13 rebounds, Middleton had 15 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, and Malcolm Brogdon had 15 points for the Bucks.
They have won 15 of the past 17 games, including nine of the past 10, to improve to 44-14 and a season-high 30 games over .500.
Horford added 21 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for Boston, while Jayson Tatum had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Also on Thursday, it was:
‧ 76ers 106, Heat 102
‧ Cavaliers 111, Suns 98
‧ Trail Blazers 113, Nets 99
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