The Milwaukee Bucks suffered their first loss of the young season Saturday as the Miami Heat mounted a second half comeback to win an overtime thriller 131-126.
Milwaukee found themselves on fire in the first half sinking a franchise high 14 threes through the first two quarters. They would go into the locker room with a 16 point lead.
The lead reached up to 21 points before the Heat started an unlikely comeback. Miami controlled the game for most of the remainder. They held the Bucks to 35% shooting the rest of the way.
Down four with nine seconds left, the Bucks somehow managed to force the game to overtime on a tip-in buzzer-beater by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“It was a great play by him. Great instincts,” Khris Middleton said.
Antetokounmpo fouled out with 2:31 to go in the game. Miami would use an 8-0 run in overtime to propel them to a victory while Milwaukee failed to capitalize on many opportunities Miami gave them off missed free throws. Middleton missed a game-tying three point attempt just before the clock hit zero as Miami escaped the Fiserv Forum with a victory.
The Heat outscored the Bucks 49-33 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
“We had a few chances to maybe steal it, but we just have to be a lot better defensively,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said.
Goran Dragic lead the way for Miami with 25 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.
For Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo recorded 29 points, 19 rebounds and 9 assists.
“He gave us a chance to win in overtime,” Bucks guard Wesley Matthews said.