By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Visibly in pain after missing two games due to a back injury, but on the court for 38 minutes, Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists, while Brook Lopez scored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Milwaukee.
Still, Jimmy Butler had the game of his life. He scored 56 points, tying the fourth-best scoring performance ever in an NBA playoff game, and the Heat roared back from 14 points down in the final quarter to stun the Milwaukee Bucks 119-114 to put the NBA’s top overall seed on the brink of early elimination.
The 56 points also became Butler’s career high, as well as a franchise playoff record. And the 14-point fourth-quarter comeback became Miami’s biggest of the season.
“We knew what we were capable of, even if nobody outside of this building, outside of this roster, and outside of this organization believed in us,” Butler said. “That’s fine. We just want to continue to do what we know is possible.”
The No. 8 seed now leads the No. 1 seed 3-1, something that has only happened four other times since the NBA went to the 16-team playoff format in 1984.
LeBron time
LeBron James made the tying layup with 0.8 seconds left in regulation before scoring four of his 22 points in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers surged to a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series with a 117-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 38-year-old James also grabbed a career playoff-high 20 rebounds and added seven assists and two blocked shots. He became the first Lakers player to put up 20 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game since Shaquille O’Neal in 2004 and at 38 years of age the oldest player who had such numbers in the playoffs breaking the record of legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
Austin Reaves scored 23 points as the Lakers surged back from a seven-point deficit with five minutes left in regulation. D’Angelo Russell hit three consecutive 3-pointers, and the Lakers never trailed in OT.
Desmond Bane scored 36 points and hit a tiebreaking layup with 6.7 seconds left in regulation for the second-seeded Grizzlies, who will have to rally from a 3-1 series deficit and win a Game 7 for the first time in franchise history to advance.
Ja Morant scored 19 points with his injured right hand, but Anthony Davis blocked his jumper at the regulation buzzer.
German guard Dennis Schroder had 12 points, one assist, two blocks, and two steals for the Lakers, while Spaniard Santi Aldama added two points and two steals for Memphis.