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    • Damian Lillard hits game-winner as Bucks edge Rockets 101-100
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    Damian Lillard hits game-winner as Bucks edge Rockets 101-100

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    The Milwaukee Bucks came back from a 13-point deficit, blew a 14-point lead but came through in the end with a last-second 101-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night at Fiserv Forum. The victory snapped a five-game winning streak by the Rockets (10-5).

    Milwaukee improved to 5-9 with its third victory in four games.

    It was a team effort for Milwaukee as the Rockets, one of the best defensive teams in the league, bogged down Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, forcing the star into 9 of 17 shooting for 20 points while creating 16 turnovers for 24 points. Antetokounmpo had eight turnovers himself, as the Rockets used their length to get in passing lanes and some creative defense to draw offensive fouls.

    Box score: Bucks 101, Rockets 100

    More: Milwaukee Bucks schedule 2024-2025 season

    But Brook Lopez scored 27 points and Gary Trent Jr. had 12 off the bench to go with an 11-point effort from Bobby Portis Jr. AJ Green scored just five points, but he knocked down a key fourth quarter three-pointer and he joined Andre Jackson Jr. and Delon Wright and Trent in playing strong defense.

    And then it came down to the stars for Milwaukee, beginning with Antetokounmpo. For the third straight game he came up with a highlight individual effort on defense – but this time he wasn’t called for any violations as he first switched onto Rockets guard Fred VanVleet and then skied to tip-block a floater by Houston center Alperen Şengün with 19.7 seconds left and the Bucks down 100-99.

    “Vintage. Vintage,” Antetokounmpo quipped of his defensive effort. “I don’t know how I got up. I didn’t think I could get it but I was able to get my fingertips to the ball. I’m happy that VanVleet did not slip this time and I was able to help my team get a stop.”

    The Bucks didn’t call timeout and pushed the ball up the court, and Damian Lillard eventually weaved his way into the teeth of the Rockets defense for an athletic layup to put his team up 101-100 with 3.9 seconds left.

    “How many other guys would you want rather than Dame in that situation, handling the ball and making decisions,” Lopez said. “We’re blessed to be in that situation. We’ve got a lot of people that contributed all night to get us there and to have a guy like that to be able to take us home, we’re in a great place.”

    Added Antetokounmpo: “It’s easy for me to say I have the ball, let me go all the way, but at the end of the day I’m a leader that wants to win and I want to do the right thing and if Dame is on the floor I think, personally, as much a lot of people can say ‘you gotta take it,’ no — Dame is a great closer so you gotta find Dame and you gotta put the ball in his hand to make a decision.”

    This came after Lillard had missed a step-back, go-ahead three-pointer with 44 seconds left that set up Antetokounmpo’s defensive heroics.

    “That sums up his versatility, right?” Lopez said of Antetokounmpo. “He’s the best defender in the league guarding one through five. There’s not really anyone else that can do that.”

    The Rockets ran two in-bound plays in the final 3.9 seconds but Jackson smartly fouled off the ball with 2 seconds left to set up another in-bound. There was a miscommunication and the Bucks looked confused as the ball came in, but the Rockets couldn’t handle the ball and didn’t attempt a shot.

    “We’ll learn from that one,” said AJ Green, who was involved in the confusion. “Giannis and ‘Dre had our back and covered up for it. But definitely gotta learn from those.”

    VanVleet led Houston with 26 points on 9 of 23 shooting while Jalen Green had 21 points on 9 of 24 shooting. Şengün had 18 points on 8 of 20 shooting.

    Brook Lopez has scary fall, leads Bucks

    Lopez will turn 37 years old on April 1, but the way the big man has played the last week has him looking like he’s the 20-point per game scorer from a decade ago. Coming into Monday’s game, Lopez had blocked nine shots over his last three games and scored 47 points – and he took over the first half against the Rockets.

    Offensively, he scored 13 first-quarter points on 5 of 6 shooting to help the Bucks rally from a 13-point deficit in the early going. Defensively, he blocked three shots and pulled down seven rebounds (eight total) to help stifle the Rockets offense and allow the Bucks to build a 12-point lead at the break.

    “He definitely got us started in the first quarter,” Lillard said. “We was off to a slow start scoring the ball, he got it started and I think throughout the entire game he kept making timely baskets. Even when they went on a run and took the lead and we was bleeding, he hit a floater, then he hit a three, then he got to the rim and had a finish in the paint, I think he got fouled. He carried us with his shot-making and his anility to stretch the floor.”

    He punctuated his 18-minute, 34-second first half with a catch-and-shoot 29-foot three-pointer in the second quarter after he spent some time in the locker room following a scary fall following a collision with 6-foot-7-inch, 200-pound Amen Thompson at the rim at the 8:47 mark of the second.

    Thompson went to dunk and Lopez elevated off two feet to challenge him. But as he climbed, his body turned to track the shot off Thompson’s right hand. Lopez’s right leg extended high, rocking him off balance as he came down – and his left leg never hit the ground. Rather smartly, he never extended his left arm to brace the fall. Instead, all of his 282 pounds fell hard on his left side with his elbow tucked under his ribs.

    “I’m good. I’m good,” Lopez said. “The way I landed, I thought it might be in my arm at first but then I just took a second to get up because I felt it in my glute. And so I just wanted to take some time and walk it off and then I was good from there.”

    Antetokounmpo was on the Bucks bench when Lopez fell in front of him.

    “Yeah, it was,” Antetokounmpo said, before trying to add some levity to the situation. “Book is heavier than me. He looks heavier than me. I’m not saying he’s chubby. I’m still stronger than him, thought. No, I’m joking.

    “Yeah, it was bad. Kind of scary for him and not just it was bad, the way he reacted, the way he got up and was like get me out, get me out. So when I got back to the game and subbed him I was just thinking he’s doing well because we need him. He’s playing great but Brook is one of the most durable players. I think him and Bobby (Portis Jr.) are two of the most durable player I’ve ever played with. So, he was able to come back to the game and finish the game for us.”

    If there were any questions about how he was feeling after the break, he came out and powered through Alperen Şengün for a bucket on one end and then stripped the Houston center and drove on the ball for  steal on the other end, leading to an Antetokounmpo dunk.

    Lopez finished with 27 points on 11 of 15 shooting, including a 5 of 8 mark from behind the three-point line. He also had 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

    “He was shooting that thing,” AJ Green said. “He made shots, made threes, but just how he anchors us defensively he’s covered my back multiple times, blocking shots, contesting shots at the rim, his rebounding as well. He was huge for us. We need him to to continue to do that and he will.”

    Damian Lillard hits game-winner after missing three games

    Lillard returned to action Monday night after missing three games while going through the NBA’s concussion protocol, and the all-star guard was a bit rusty in scoring 18 points on 6 of 18 shooting, including a 0-for-6 mark from behind the three-point line.

    “I could feel it was one of those games where I needed to keep going, keep my foot on the gas down the stretch and it just came down to those last two plays,” Lillard said. “I got one to go and we was able to get a stop on the other end. It comes down to who’s going to make the plays and I thought tonight in that stretch we were the one to make the plays.”

    Even though his shot was off, Lillard was an effective playmaker, handing out 10 assists – including a huge setup of an AJ Green three-pointer that cut the Rockets lead to 100-99 with 77 seconds remaining. Though Lillard missed a three-pointer with 44 seconds left, he laid in the eventual game-winner through traffic to lead the Bucks to a victory.

    “It comes down to I’ve experienced these moments a lot,” he said. “Not just the last play of the game but being aggressive and attacking and the shot’s not falling but the game is still close and I know that what’s expected of me on the team is not to necessarily make a big shot or to be the guy doing it, but I’ve got to be in attack mode. Especially in a game like this.”

    Lillard was inadvertently hit in the eye by a referee after time expired following the third quarter of the Bucks’ game against Boston on Nov. 10. Lillard played seven minutes in the fourth quarter, but reported symptoms the following day.

    He said it was the first concussion of his life and admitted that he tried to get through the protocol (30-minute bike ride, 30-minute treadmill, 30-minute court workout) probably too quickly, which perhaps set him back. He said he experienced some occasional dizziness and sensitivity, so he cut back his screen time and exposure to lights, along with his physical activity.

    “I just didn’t like not being with the team, not being able to come to the arena the second game of that back-to-back (against Detroit on Nov. 13), not being able to go on the road trip (to Charlotte on Nov. 16), stuff like that. That was what made it hard for me, but I respected the process.”

    Did you notice AJ Green defending Jalen Green?

    Jackson earned the start against the Rockets in large part because dynamic Houston shooting guard Jalen Green came in averaging nearly 20 points per game – but AJ Green was the Bucks guard who gave the Rockets scorer all he could handle through most of the game.

    Jalen Green could never shake AJ Green, and the Bucks defender wasn’t shy in using his nearly 200-pound frame to help harass the Rockets guard into a 9-for-24 night from the floor.

    “They kept trying him,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “We’re like you’re picking on the wrong guy. This guy can defend. He’s young, they don’t know his name and they decided let’s attack him. And it went in our favor most of the time.”

    Over the last week, the Bucks have gotten strong perimeter defense from Trent, Wright, Jackson and Green.

    “I love it though,” Green said of the challenge. “That’s fine with me, you know? I try to take pride in playing defense and rising to that challenge and doing it for the team. The team needs it, so I look forward to it.”

    Bucks feel they’re coming together

    By any objective measure – like wins and losses, statistical rankings – the Bucks have not found much success on the court.

    But over the last week, the players feel they are growing more comfortable with one another as they’ve rolled out six starting lineups and 118 different five-man combinations already this season. It has appeared that there has been more cohesion on both ends of the court, being it with the ball movement on offense or the deflections and turnovers created on defense.

    Over the four games coming into Monday, the Bucks handed out 103 assists, or about 26 per game. It’s not a huge number but it’s marked improvement from their previous four games (85, or 21.3 per game).

    “I think we’re making strides in the right direction,” Pat Connaughton said. “We had something like 29, 30, maybe even a few more assists (31 in Charlotte). Those things are big for us. I think we missed some open shots but if we continue to judge ourselves off getting open shots, we’ve got great talent on this team that will make them.”

    On defense, the Bucks have created nine more turnovers over their five games entering Monday than their previous five (59 to 50) and scored 12 more points (79 to 67). Antetokounmpo has re-emerged as a defensive force alongside Lopez, and Bucks appear more connected on that end of the court.

    “I could say that,” Trent said. “I feel like we’re getting unified on the defensive end and we’re buying in more a little bit. Obviously how we started the season we’ve changed some of the things we’ve done on the defensive end now with switching more, so it’s less fighting through screens and less having to extra things. But now we’re doing things that help one another on the defensive end so continue to just to do that and continue to keep growing with that.”

    For Antetokounmpo, he’s also seen a change since calling out the competitive fire of his team on Nov. 8 in New York.

    “I think everybody’s competing,” he said. “’TP’, ‘GT,’ ‘D-Wright,’ Pat, Brook, everybody that steps in competes. As I said, I love to see it. I love to see it. This is what we have to do. Everybody has that individual pride. Everybody knows that you gotta guard. In order for us to win games, you gotta guard. There’s not any other way. I think players have taken that to heart and they’re going out there trying to guard the best way they can.”

    And while those things are promising and have led to wins over Toronto and Detroit and close losses to Boston and Charlotte, the Bucks understand those smalls improvements within the game must invariably turn to an uptick in the objective measures – particularly in the win column.

    “Just learning how to finish games, pull it out,” Taurean Prince said. “It’s hard to win in this league so being in tight, close games like is gonna help us in the long run, getting that intensity, that energy. Some people call it pressure but I like to call it intensity, just the feeling that you have in those moments when it’s time to really lock in in big moments and big plays can be made. I think that will help us in the long run, come playoff time.”

    5 numbers

    • 2: Offensive fouls called on Giannis Antetokounmpo after Houston guards Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson ducked to his waist as Antetokounmpo began a spin move. The latter came with the Bucks down 98-94 with 2:21 to go in the game.
    • 4: Three-pointers for Gary Trent Jr., a season-high.
    • 4: Rockets who reached double figures in scoring. They came into the game with seven players averaging at least 10 points per game.
    • 17: Third-quarter points by Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, leading a 35-point quarter for Houston that nearly erased a 14-point deficit to cut the Bucks lead to 83-80 after the quarter. Houston would carry that momentum into the fourth in taking a lead shortly thereafter.
    • 16-3: Deficit the Bucks fell behind at the 6:35 mark in the first quarter after they started the game 1-for-7 from behind the three-point line and with five turnovers that led to seven Rockets points. Milwaukee didn’t cave, however, and trailed just 28-27 after the first quarter despite the fact Antetokounmpo had more turnovers (three) than points (two).

    Doc Rivers reacts to being fined by the league

    Rivers was fined $25,000 for his public criticism of the officials after the Bucks’ loss to Charlotte on Saturday, even though the crew admitted after the game to making the wrong call on Antetokounmpo that led to the eventual game-winning free throws by LaMelo Ball with 7.3 seconds left.

    “You’re in a tough spot, really,” Rivers said of that postgame moment. “You have to defend your players. Unfortunately, I wish we could send (Bucks chief communications officer) Barry (Baum) out to do the media after games like that. You’re put in a tough spot. And, you know, I was laughing with someone. It’s that rare case when your girlfriend comes down with a bad outfit and she asks you what do you think? And if you answer correctly, you’re gonna get in a lot of trouble. That’s how I felt with the fine.”

    Is Giannis playing?

    Yes, per head coach Doc Rivers. Antetokounmpo been on the injury report all season but he has not missed a game with the pain he’s been managing in his right knee all season.

    Damian Lillard injury update

    It appears all-star point guard Damian Lillard has advanced out of the concussion protocol and will play for the Bucks, per head coach Doc Rivers.

    Rivers said Lillard would not be playing under any restrictions in his return to action.

    Lillard suffered the concussion on Nov. 10 against Boston and has missed the last three games.

    “It’s always good to have a player like Damian Lillard, what he means to our team offensively, defensively, mindset-wise, game planning-wise, so he can’t do nothing but help us being back,” guard Gary Trent Jr. said at shootaround Monday morning. “Hopefully a speedy recovery and he’ll get well.”

    More: From sighing reporters to fake handshakes to mistakes by officials: Recapping 10 strange days for Bucks

    What channel are the Bucks on?

    The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on the FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.

    Bucks injury report

    • Khris Middleton, out (surgery on both ankles)
    • Ryan Rollins, out (left shoulder instability)
    • Damian Lillard, available (concussion protocol)
    • Giannis Antetokounmpo, available (right patellar tendinopathy)

    Bucks starters

    • Guards: Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr.
    • Forwards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince
    • Center: Brook Lopez

    Bucks vs. Rockets odds, over/under

    Milwaukee is a 4.5-point favorite over Houston, with the over/under on the game being 222.5 total points per BetMGM.

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