With 10.3 seconds left, Damian Lillard made a step-back basket to secure the victory for the Bucks. With 1:58 remaining, the Timberwolves made a furious comeback, cutting their 17-point deficit to four points thanks to a three-pointer from Anthony Edwards.
To restore the lead to seven points, Antetokounmpo pulled down two offensive rebounds and made three free throws.
Edwards made two more clutch three-pointers to keep the Timberwolves in the game, but with 9.2 seconds remaining, Antetokounmpo found Jae Crowder for a layup and Lillard finished with a dunk.
“That’s what Dame does,” Antetokounmpo declared. “All we need to do is step aside and allow him to shine. He flourishes in those circumstances.”
For the Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert contributed 12 points and 19 rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and Edwards finished with 28 points.
However, the Bucks outscored Minnesota 36–13 in the third quarter, which proved to be too much for Minnesota to overcome.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Bucks’ own careless play infuriated Antetokounmpo.
He added, “But we maintained our composure.”
That was not the case in New Orleans, where the Heat defeated the Pelicans 106-95 in an exciting game that saw four players sent off following a brawl early in the fourth quarter.
After missing three games due to a death in his family, Miami star Jimmy Butler made his comeback. He scored 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds before getting thrown into the brawl that broke out when Miami center Kevin Love attempted to wrap up Zion Williamson, sending the Pelicans star to the ground.
Naji Marshall shoved Butler, and for a brief moment, Marshall grabbed Butler’s throat during their altercation. Players swarmed the court, and Jose Alvarado of New Orleans, who looked to throw a punch, and Heat backup center Thomas Bryant, who didn’t even play in the game, were among those sent off.
