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The LA Lakers, spearheaded by Austin Reaves made a tremendous comeback against the second-best team in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks, to sweep their season series 2-0.
Reaves had the best game of this season, notching his career's second triple-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, including two blocks on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and 4-of-11 from beyond the arc at 36.4%. He also hit the biggest shot of the night, sealing their win while playing 48 minutes.
Following a strong defensive play by Anthony Davis on the former two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Reaves came off a feint screen, which caused confusion between Damian Lillard and Malik Beasley, both leaving him open. With Antetokounmpo inside the arc, guarding Anthony Davis, Reaves coldly sank the 3-pointer to put an end to a grueling double-overtime road game for the Lakers.
After Antetokounmpo missed two free throws, Milwaukee resorted to fouling. Davis secured the win for the Lakers with two successful free throws, resulting in a final score of 128-124.
How LA Lakers and Austin Reaves overcame a 19-point deficit over Milwaukee Bucks
The Lakers struggled with their shooting in the first quarter, managing only 7-of-25 from the field. Milwaukee capitalized on this, led by seven points each from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, to surge ahead to a 32-16 lead after the opening period.
The "Greek Freak" impressed with his performance, securing a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the first half and ensuring the Lakers never gained the lead. Consequently, Milwaukee maintained a comfortable 58-42 advantage at halftime.
Although the Lakers narrowed the deficit to single digits around the midway point of the third quarter, the Bucks managed to withstand the pressure and prevented a full comeback. A buzzer-beater by Antetokounmpo concluded the quarter, propelling the Bucks into the fourth with an 88-74 lead.
In the final stretch, LA intensified their game, narrowing the gap to single digits once more. With the Bucks' faltering performance, the Lakers capitalized, bringing the game to a point where they had an opportunity to secure the win with just 0.8 seconds remaining. However, Austin Reaves' 3-point attempt ricocheted off the glass and missed its mark, resulting in the game heading into overtime.
The overtime period witnessed a seesaw battle between both teams until Damian Lillard's corner 3-pointer granted Milwaukee a two-point lead with 13.6 seconds remaining. However, D'Angelo Russell countered with a pair of successful free throws, leveling the score.
This set up another opportunity for the Bucks to clinch the victory at the buzzer. Lillard seized a lay-up opportunity, only to have it blocked by "AD", resulting in a 117-all tie and the game heading into double overtime, where Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves capped off with the aforementioned plays on both ends of the court to win the game.
Guess the Lakers players!
