While they have been near the top of the Eastern Conference standings all year, the Milwaukee Bucks fell on hard times when the calendar turned to 2024. After starting the season 24-8, Giannis Antetokounmpo and company lost four of their first five games in January and began to fall behind the Celtics idols with each passing game. But two big wins against Boston and Golden State put the Bucks back on the right track, and they had a chance to make it three straight wins when the Kings came to town on Sunday.
Lillard, defeats the kings in overtime
LADY CALLED GAME 🤯😱 pic.twitter.com/9nck6tNOAa
– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 15, 2024
It looked like they were on their way to a convincing victory during the fourth quarter of the game against Sacramento. Milwaukee took a 12-point lead when Cameron Payne hit a 3-pointer with 8:18 left in regulation, marking the Bucks’ biggest lead of the game. But the Kings fought back behind De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, scoring 30 of the game’s final 48 points to force overtime.
Sacramento got off to a good start during the extra frame and took a 6-point lead with less than three minutes left on a layup by Fox. The Bucks took advantage of timely shots from Pat Connaughton and Damian Lillard, and found themselves down two points after The Kings missed three of the four free throws they attempted in the final minute.
Milwaukee remains 2.5 games behind the Celtics
Celebration of the first Dame Time with the Bucks. Cold. pic.twitter.com/VcugS2GEkn
– 𝘿𝙖𝙢𝙚_𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 ⌚️ (@DT_1023) January 15, 2024
With five seconds left, the Bucks passed the ball to Lillard, who dribbled past the half-court line and toward the top of the arc, rising from 32 feet as the clock ticked under 2 seconds. The buzzer rang after his shot and the ball went over to give Milwaukee a thrilling 1-point victory. Lillard pointed to his wrist in his signature move as his teammates mobbed him at halfcourt.
The win helps keep the Bucks within 2.5 games of the Celtics, who were off Sunday. It was the last game of a four-game home series for Milwaukee, and now they will hit the road for three straight games. In an interesting quirk to the schedule, three of their next five games will be played against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They will face the Detroit Pistons in the other two.
