Austin Reaves tonight... ✨ Triple-double with 29p, 14r, 10a ✨ 16p in 4Q and both OTs ✨ Eventual game-winner in 2OT He hit clutch bucket after clutch bucket to lead a 19-point comeback for the @Lakers 4th straight win!
Anthony Davis keeps Los Angeles Lakers season alive with comeback win in 2OT against Milwaukee Bucks
NBAWednesday, 27 March 2024 at 06:09
It was a thrilling game at Fiserv Forum that was entertaining for 58 minutes. After trailing by as many as 19 points in the 4th quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to comeback and defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-125 in double overtime behind a heroic performance by Anthony Davis.
The Lakers were without LeBron James for this contest, so they knew that their other rotational players needed to step up in his absence to have a chance at winning. That’s exactly what happened in the 4th quarter, as they were able to comeback from a 19 point deficit to force overtime. In the final few minutes of the 4th quarter, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves hit huge threes to eventually tie things up and force the extra period.
In OT, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard got things going for the Bucks. However, LA always seemed to have an answer. Spencer Dinwiddie hit a transition triple which gave the LakeShow their first lead, which they ultimately gave up when Dame Time hit a go-ahead three with 13.6 seconds remaining in overtime.
Trailing 117-115, D’Lo was able to draw a foul on Jae Crowder to shoot 2 free throws which he hit. With 3.1 seconds remaining, the Bucks had the ball on their sideline. Khris Middleton inbounded to Dame and he drove to the lane. AD swatted his layup attempt and forced double overtime with that game saving block.
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In the second overtime, both teams went back and forth. Nobody could take pull away and force a big margin. However, with 38 seconds remaining Austin Reaves hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a 124-121 lead. The Bucks couldn’t answer and Los Angeles hit their free throws to close out the game.
It truly was a wild game with a bunch of highlights from star players. Despite missing LeBron James, the Lakers worked together as a team to pull this victory out. Anthony Davis led the way with a monster performance. He finished with 34 points, 23 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks (including the game saving block in OT), and 3 huge triples.
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Austin Reaves had himself a night as well. He recorded his second career triple-double as he ended with 29 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 blocks, and 4 three-pointers including some clutch ones to end regulation and the overtime periods. D’Angelo Russell had 29 points, 7 boards, 12 assists and 5 made triples while Rui Hachimura contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had an amazing performance for the Bucks, as he finished with 29 points, 21 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Damian Lillard had 27 points, 5 boards, and 8 assists with 3 made triples while Malik Beasley scored 21 points with 5 made three-pointers. Khris Middleton recorded 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists while Bobby Portis provided 18 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.
This may be the best win of the season for the Lakers, as they were without their leader LeBron James but found a way to comeback from down 19 by working together as a cohesive unit. They improve to 40-32 and continue to give themselves a cushion in the play-in race. Tonight’s victory proves that despite being a play-in team, the purple and gold are still a scary team to face in the playoffs.
If AD can perform like this alongside the King, they will be one of the most dominant duos in the postseason. Consistency has been an issue for this squad so they’ll be looking to patch that up in the last remaining games on their schedule. They are currently on a 4-game winning streak and have gone 7-3 over their last 10. Next up will be a meeting in Memphis against the struggling Grizzlies.
Milwaukee drops to 46-26 with this loss and now hold a 2-game lead over the Cavs for the 2nd seed in the East. This was a disappointing loss for the Bucks, especially since LA was without the future Hall of Famer. It’s been a roller coaster season for this team and they want to prove that they can compete with Boston to win the Eastern Conference.
The 2021 champs are 5-5 over their last 10 games and they will look to work on their flaws based on this game. Their next chance to bounce back will be on Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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