The Milwaukee Bucks edged out the Charlotte Hornets 122-121 in a thrilling clutch-time finish tonight. Giannis, who slammed home the game-winning dunk, led all scorers with 30 points, while Ryan Rollins added 29. The Hornets were led by Kon Knueppel, who had 26, and Miles Bridges with 25.
Game Recap
The Hornets struck first, with Miles Bridges converting an easy lay on the left block. Milwaukee’s first field goal came off a Giannis “mebound.” The Bucks put an early emphasis on the Greek Freak
getting touches down low, and he scored a quick six points in the first five minutes. Charlotte’s forward tandem of Bridges and Brandon Miller was dealing some damage too, and the score was knotted 17-17 with five minutes left in the opening frame. From there, the visitors went on an extended run fueled by some buckets from Tidjane Salaun and the hometown kid Kon Knueppel, ending the first quarter with a 38-24 advantage.
Charlotte was able to keep their lead around 15 for a large chunk of the second quarter, but some free throws from Giannis and Ryan Rollins triggered a 12-4 run for Milwaukee that cut the lead back to single digits by the 4:00 mark. The burst for the Bucks was capped off by a timeout-forcing alley-oop from Rollins to Kyle Kuzma. The highlight play wasn’t enough to spark a full comeback, and the Hornets led 60-51 at the break; however, the home team had the momentum heading into the locker room. Knueppel led all scorers with 17 points at intermission, while Rollins had 15 for the Bucks.
The opening minutes of the second half saw Milwaukee continue their push and shrink the deficit even further, with the big three of Giannis, Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr. all chipping in some baskets to bring the home team to within just one point at the 7:45 mark. LaMelo Ball put in a layup, but then AJ Green drilled a corner trey to tie things up, completing an 18-9 run. What had the potential to be a disappointing loss turned into a whole new game with the Bucks in control. The green and cream crew reclaimed the lead for the first time since the first quarter when Kuzma banked in a fader at the 5:35 notch. The Buzz City boys weren’t about to roll over and give up, though. The two teams traded some punches, and Miller and Sion James each had a pair of hoops late that ultimately restored a 91-87 lead for the Hornets ahead of the final frame.
Charlotte started to pull away early in the fourth with triples from Bridges, Knueppel, and Collin Sexton. However, Bobby Portis, who had been having a quiet night, made Fiserv Forum erupt in cheers with some big buckets of his own that tied things back up at 102 with seven minutes left. From there, both squads cooled off a bit, and the score was just 111-107, Hornets, when Doc Rivers called a timeout with 3:20 remaining. The Bucks tightened things up with some clutch plays from Giannis and Rollins, and the game was running down to the wire. Kuzma splashed a three-ball with 10 seconds left to give the Bucks a two-point lead, but he gave it right back by allowing an and-one diving finish to Bridges on the next play. Doc called a timeout, and after the stoppage, KPJ and Giannis connected on a pick-and-roll lob. Miller missed a driving layup, and the Bucks escaped with a clutch victory.
Stat That Stood Out
Ryan Rollins has had some inefficient outings lately, but he finished 11/13 from the floor and 6/7 from three tonight. The kid has a knack for the moment and hit some huge shots in this one. With each big-time game he puts together, he looks more and more like a future star.
