Giannis' block, Damian Lillard's bucket help Bucks escape with win over Rockets

MILWAUKEE The Milwaukee Bucks havent caught many good breaks in what has felt like a snakebitten start to the 2024-25 season, but thats exactly what they received on the final play of Mondays game as they eked out a 101-100 win over the Houston Rockets at Fiserv Forum.

After trailing by as many as 13 points, then leading by 14 before trailing by six points late in the fourth quarter, the Bucks scored seven consecutive points to take a one-point lead on a Damian Lillard layup.

Advertisement With two seconds remaining, Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet set up as the inbounder on the left sideline.

His teammates set up in a box formation with one player on each of the blocks and elbows nearest their basket.

When VanVleet received the ball from the official, Rockets guard Jalen Green ran from the left block on the near side to set a screen for Dillon Brooks on the other block.

But Gary Trent Jr.

played such physical defense that Brooks was a foot out of bounds and Green whiffed on the screen, never making contact on Trent.

But because the screen that was supposed to be set never got made, all hell broke loose for the Bucks defensively.

AJ Green , who was covering Jalen Green, tried to switch with Trent, but he was nowhere near Brooks because of Trents bump.

That same bump left Trent nowhere near Jalen Green.

With Jalen Green about to run uncovered toward the ball, both Bucks defenders broke to cover Green but then stopped when they realized the other defender was doing the same thing.

In the end, the botched switch led to both defenders being out of position and Brooks and Jalen Green running free toward the ball.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo saw that no one was covering Jalen Green, he left Rockets center Alperen Sengun to chase Green out to the 3-point line.

And with that, three Bucks defenders broke away from the rim and left Sengun, the player closest to the basket, uncovered in the middle of the lane.

Fortunately for the Bucks, VanVleets lob to Sengun was off-target, and Andre Jackson Jr.

was aware and active enough to ensure Sengun could not corral it.

While Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers had not watched a replay of the final defensive possession before his post-game press conference, he knew his team had messed up defensively.

Advertisement I just know that guy was not supposed to be open, Rivers said.

And I think it was Dre that got his hands in there, which was great.

...

I know my coaches were saying someone messed up a switch.

So, got lucky on that.

While there is no denying the Bucks got lucky when VanVleet sailed his pass to Sengun, they earned their one-point lead with big plays from both of their stars on the previous two possessions.

Mondays game was a slog for both teams.

While Brook Lopez was spectacular putting up 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including a 5-of-8 night from behind the 3-point line, and matching that excellence defensively with four blocks and three steals, the superstar duo of Antetokounmpo and Lillard never really found a rhythm.

Antetokounmpo tallied 20 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks, but the Rockets frustrated him throughout the night with switches and physical defense.

The two-time MVP was whistled for an offensive foul on his baseline spin move twice and also never found a consistent path through the sea of bodies the Rockets threw at him as he committed eight turnovers.

Lillard struggled as well in his first game back after missing three straight games because of the NBA s concussion protocols.

The Rockets regularly put bigger defenders on him and switched regularly, keeping Lillard uncomfortable as a scorer for much of the night.

The Bucks starting point guard made just 6-of-18 shots on the night on his way to 18 points, but he still managed to dish out 10 assists.

Despite their relative struggles, both stars stepped up in the games final minute to make the type of plays that have made both players stars in the first place.

The Rockets had the ball and led by one with a little more than 40 seconds remaining.

VanVleet, with Trent covering him as he crossed the half-court line, asked for a screen from Brooks, who was being defended by Antetokounmpo.

Advertisement With plenty of time on the shot clock, Trent could have stayed with VanVleet, but as he got through the screen from Brooks, Antetokounmpo pushed Trent away and sunk his hips.

For a second straight game, Antetokounmpo wanted to defend the opponents lead guard on a switch and get a stop.

On Saturday, Antetokounmpo was successful in his head-to-head matchup with Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball , but the games officials incorrectly whistled him for a foul, awarding Ball two free throws when he tripped over his own feet and fell to the floor.

This time, VanVleet stayed on his feet as he drove against Antetokounmpo, but rather than challenging Antetokounmpo with a pull-up jumper or a floater, the Rockets point guard dumped a pass off to Sengun just outside the left lane line.

With Lopez at the rim and Antetokounmpo closing, Sengun tossed up a floater, but he didnt loft it quite high enough as Antetokounmpo soared and barely got a hand on it to deny Senguns attempt.

I mean, that just sums up his versatility, right? Lopez said.

Hes the best defender in the league guarding one through five.

Theres not really anyone else who can do that.

Antetokounmpos block conjured memories of his iconic block of Deandre Ayton in the 2021 NBA Finals when he defended both the alley and the oop on a single play.

Vintage, Antetokoumpo said with a smile on his face.

I dont know how I got up.

I didnt think I could get it, but I was able to get my fingertips to the ball.

Im happy that VanVleet did not slip this time and I was able to help my team get a stop.

With the defensive stop secured, Antetokounmpo pushed the ball for a moment, but with the Rockets back in transition, Antetokounmpo immediately looked for Lillard.

Advertisement I think hes one of the best to ever do it like finishing the game and as a leader, you gotta give (him the ball), Antetokounmpo said.

Its easy for me to say I have the ball and go all the way, but at the end of the day, Im a leader that wants to win.

I want to do the right thing and if Dames on the floor, I think personally as much as a lot of people can say you gotta take (the shot) no, Dame is a great closer.

So you gotta find Dame and you gotta put the ball in his hand for him to make a decision.

Maybe sometimes hes going to go all the way or shoot a shot or make the right play for somebody else.

Thats called winning basketball.

That is exactly what Lillard did with the ball in his hands.

He won the game.

Lillard had been working through the rust of not playing for a week as well as a hard-nosed Rockets defense, but he knew what he needed to do in that situation.

Ive experienced these moments a lot, Lillard said.

Not just the last play, but being aggressive and attacking and shots not falling in, but the game is still close.

And I know that whats expected to me on the team is not to necessarily make a big shot or to be the guy doing it, but I gotta be in attack mode, especially in a game like that.

By attacking and trying to get to the rim, Lillard found an opening for the go-ahead basket, something hes done with great regularity throughout his career.

Dame just has great courage, Rivers said.

Whether hes on fire or not, he just has this thing in him that he believes that he should take the last shot and make the last shot.

And he does it over and over.

It wasnt pretty, and it required amazing plays by Milwaukees two best players on back-to-back possessions as well as a little luck on the games final possession but against the Rockets, in a season in which seemingly everything has gone wrong, something broke right for the Bucks.

(Photo of Damian Lillard: Jeff Hanisch / Imagn Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.