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Eric WoodyardESPN
Under normal circumstances, a boy and his family reportedly left the Barclays Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. with a story for all time.
For starters, there was no school for the holidays, as three former MVPs (Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden and Kevin Durant) went from foot to foot in a high-level showdown, with the Brooklyn Nets facing off. Milwaukee Bucks 125-123.
Even in a fanless environment forced by the pandemic, the last five minutes of regulation between these two Eastern Conference powerhouses left those watching at home quickly advancing on the idea of a possible playoff clash. .
After Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez scored a triple with 5:01 to play to tie the game at 110, there were eight lead changes and 10 field goals ahead. Those 10 field goals scored tied at the top in the last five minutes of a game that ended up regulated in the last 25 years, including the playoffs, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Antetokounmpo almost got a triple-double with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists to add two steals.
Below you can see how the finish line developed:
4:07 to play: Pat Connaughton reaches 3 points, Bucks wins 113-112
3:37 to play: Harden hits, Nets guide 114-113
Harden and Durant totaled 64 points on Monday, becoming the first teammates to score 30 or more points in each of their first two games along with a franchise, according to Elias Sports Bureau data.
3:17 to play: Jrue Holiday makes the roster, Bucks wins 115-114
1:55 to play: Harden makes floating jumper, Nets wins 118-117
In the first half, Harden scored easily, but also had six losses, which have been his maximum in this half of the season. Still, he cleaned it up in the second half with zero changes and some decisive games near the end, including this float as he drove down the lane over Lopez’s long arms, a totally defensive second-team center. Through two games with the Nets, Harden has scored or helped on 129 points, which is the highest in a player’s first two games with a team in NBA history.
1:44 to play: Khris Middleton makes the driving position, Bucks guide 119-118
1:17 to play: Antetokounmpo takes a turn for 119-119, Bucks wins 121-119
Emotions were shown at first between Durant and Antetokounmpo, while Durant met Giannis after a bucket of Nets in the opening quarter, and then pushed him to the ground as he ran in another play. Therefore, it was only correct for the Greek Freak to attack the basket aggressively with a two-handed repeat stop on a failed Holiday throw.
1:05 to play: Joe Harris makes 3 points, Nets wins 122-121
55.4 to play: Middleton makes a 14-foot jumper, Bucks leads 123-122
36.8 to play: While reaching 3 points, the Nets lead 125-123
One of the Nets organization’s biggest concerns once they acquired Harden was how the three stars would mess up during times of crisis, even though Kyrie Irving missed his seventh straight game on Monday. Durant silenced that noise with a 3-point clutch to take the win. Durant’s hoop, one of his most prominent features, received an assist from Harden, who had bounced off his own foul.
“We’re still trying to find our way and we still have room to improve, but it’s a solid start,” Durant said.
1.1 to play: Middleton misses 3 feet by 23 feet and the Nets win 125-123
Middleton finished the night with 25 points, but watched as his 3-point rebound attempt went in and out after taking an inning pass from the sideline. Although several options were set, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer had no problems with the attempt, even with Antetokounmpo as the team’s superstar.
“Khris is very gifted. He came out on the ball. I thought it looked like he would come in, so if you can only get the ball to Khris,” Budenholzer said. “His work with his feet, his height, but we’re seeing a lot of things. Khris is one of those aspects that’s so good to read, good decision from Jrue, good shot from Khris. We’ll take it.”