Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his MVP-caliber campaign with another dominant triple-double — 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists — to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the Miami Heat 121-115 in overtime on Saturday night. Kevin Porter Jr. added a major spark off the bench, finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, including a clutch layup with 11 seconds left in the extra period that put the game out of reach.
The Bucks (43-34) clinched a playoff berth earlier in the day thanks to New York’s win over Atlanta and took advantage of Detroit’s loss to Memphis to leap into the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Porter Jr.’s layup pushed Milwaukee’s lead to 119-115, and the Heat committed a costly turnover on the ensuing possession, sealing their fate. Milwaukee’s composure in crunch time proved critical, especially after surrendering a late fourth-quarter lead.
Bam Adebayo led the way for Miami (35-43) with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Alec Burks contributed a season-high 24 points, while Davion Mitchell added 20. Despite their efforts, the Heat now find themselves a half-game behind the Chicago Bulls for ninth in the East, 1½ games behind No. 8 Atlanta and three games behind No. 7 Orlando.
Missing key contributors — Tyler Herro (right thigh), Andrew Wiggins (right hamstring), and Kevin Love (personal reasons) — Miami was unable to close out another tightly contested game. The Heat lost to Memphis on Thursday after never trailing by more than eight, and suffered the same fate Saturday, never falling behind by more than seven. Kevin Porter Jr.’s layup with 11 seconds left in overtime was the dagger. Miami turned the ball over immediately afterward, ending any hopes of a comeback.The Heat have now dropped back-to-back games where they never trailed by more than eight points — a frustrating stat for a team fighting to stay in the playoff picture.
Antetokounmpo gave Doc Rivers the game ball from his historic 35-17-20 outing against Philadelphia on Thursday, a token of appreciation as Rivers passed Phil Jackson for seventh on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list. “He doesn’t know he’s getting the ball back,” Rivers joked postgame.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra praised managing general partner Micky Arison’s selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame. “He’s been a blessing to South Florida sports,” Spoelstra said. “We’ve been able to put basketball on the map in South Florida in what was previously a football city.”
The Bucks continue their road trip with a Sunday matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Heat return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday in another must-win for their playoff hopes.
