National Basketball Association
Milwaukee 101, Houston 100
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, November 18, 2024
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Officials: #46 Ben Taylor, #3 Nick Buchert, #67 Brandon Adair
Attendance: 17341

Damian Lillard made a driving layup with 3.9 seconds remaining and had a hand in the game's final seven points as the Milwaukee Bucks eked out a 101-100 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Monday.

After Alperen Sengun (18 points, seven rebounds) gave Houston a 100-94 lead by tipping in his miss with 1:58 to play, Lillard sank two free throws before assisting on an AJ Green 3-pointer at the 1:17 mark. Lillard (18 points, 10 assists) converted the game-winner after Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a short jumper from Sengun with 19.1 seconds left.

Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 27 points and five 3-pointers while adding 10 rebounds and four blocks. Antetokounmpo paired 20 rebounds with 13 rebounds to help Milwaukee snap the Rockets' five-game winning streak.

Fred VanVleet scored a team-high 26 points including 17 in the third quarter to pull the Rockets back from a 14-point deficit. He tallied 12 consecutive points for Houston and assisted on a Sengun three-point play with 44.2 seconds left that cut the margin to 83-80 after three quarters.

Jalen Green took the baton from VanVleet to open the fourth, hitting a pair of 3s around an Aaron Holiday layup to lift the Rockets to an 88-83 lead. Houston led by as many as seven in the final period before Lillard led the comeback in the waning moments

Green had 21 points -- including 10 in the fourth quarter -- and nine rebounds for Houston.

The Rockets scored the opening nine points of the game and extended to a 13-point lead before Lopez engineered a comeback. He recorded the Bucks' first basket with a tip-in of a missed free throw from Antetokounmpo and later drilled a pair of 3-pointers that, coupled with an Antetokounmpo layup, cut the deficit to 18-14 with 4:30 left in the period.

Lopez added another 3 before the close of the first and posted 13 points in the period. Houston clung to a 28-27 lead entering the second but Bobby Portis erased that margin with the first of six 3-pointers in the period for the Bucks. Gary Trent Jr. nailed three of those 3s and when Antetokounmpo hit a jump hook in the lane, Milwaukee secured a 48-38 cushion.

Lopez and Trent each sank four 3-pointers in the first half and combined for 28 points to help Milwaukee to a 57-45 lead at the break. While the Bucks hit 11 of 23 from deep before the break, the Rockets were 0-for-5 on 3-pointers in the second and shot 26.9 percent overall in the period.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Houston   Milwaukee
Fred VanVleet 26 Scoring Brook Lopez 27
Alperen Sengun 5 Assists Damian Lillard 10
Tari Eason 14 Rebounds Giannis Antetokounmpo 13
Fred VanVleet 5 Free Throws Made Damian Lillard 6
Tari Eason 4 Steals Brook Lopez 3
Tari Eason 3 Blocks Brook Lopez 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Houston 100 40.0 9-32 11-13 19 53 6 9 13
Milwaukee 101 45.8 13-33 12-19 21 43 8 8 16
Upcoming Games
  • Milwaukee will play their next game at home against Chicago. The Bucks have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .400 after a loss.
  • Houston will play their next game at home against Indiana. The Rockets have a W/L % of .545 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.