Lakers beat Bucks in 2OTs without LeBron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives around D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of a game at Fiserv Forum on March 26, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE - Austin Reaves had a triple-double and made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 37.8 seconds left in the second overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of LeBron James and rallied to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-124 on Tuesday night.
Reaves had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in 47 minutes as the Lakers opened a six-game trip by winning their fourth straight despite trailing by 19 points in the fourth quarter and never leading in regulation. Anthony Davis provided 34 points and 23 rebounds while playing 52 minutes.
Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a triple-double with 29 points, a season-high 21 rebounds and 11 assists. Damian Lillard scored 27 and Malik Beasley added 21 for the Bucks.
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James had an issue with his left ankle that prevented him from being available as the Lakers opened a six-game trip. The ankle problem also had caused James to sit out the Lakers’ 123-122 victory over the Bucks on March 8.
The Lakers still found a way to win.
D'Angelo Russell had 29 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. Rui Hachimura added 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The exhaustion of both teams was apparent as nobody scored in the first three minutes of the second overtime. The Lakers briefly trailed by two in the second OT, but pulled ahead for good on Reaves’ last-minute 3-pointer.
After Antetokounmpo missed two free throws with 24.2 seconds left, Russell hit two free throws to make it 126-121 with 14.7 seconds remaining, Beasley made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two, but Antonio Davis hit two free throws with 1.7 seconds left to seal the victory.
The Lakers never led until Spencer Dinwiddie sank a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:19 left in the first overtime. Dinwiddie had shot 0 for 5 from the floor before making that basket.
From there, the game went back and forth.
Milwaukee tied the score at 111-all on a Beasley 3-pointer, but the Lakers regained the lead on a Hachimura basket.
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Lillard was fouled by Reaves while attempting a 3-pointer with 41.3 seconds left and hit all three free throws to put Milwaukee back ahead. Then Reaves was fouled by Lillard and hit two free throws as the Lakers regained the lead.
Milwaukee pulled back ahead on Lillard’s corner 3-pointer with 13.6 seconds remaining, but Russell drew a foul and hit both free throws to tie with 3.1 seconds left.
Davis blocked Lillard on a driving layup attempt to force a second overtime.
Milwaukee seemed firmly in control for most of the night.
After a Lillard jumper with 8:25 left gave the Bucks a 94-75 advantage — matching their largest lead of the game — the Lakers outscored the Bucks 26-7 the rest of the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Taurean Prince drew a foul with 43.9 seconds remaining and made both free throws to tie the game. Both teams had a chance to win it at the end of the fourth quarter but couldn’t convert.