NBA News Wire
Bucks 108, Lakers 105
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MILWAUKEE — Point guard Brandon Knight scored 30 points as the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Los Angeles Lakers for a 108-105 victory Thursday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The Bucks led by as many as 12 in the final quarter but had to sweat out the final minute as Lakers swingman Kent Bazemore sank a 26-foot 3-pointer with two seconds left.
Guard Ramon Sessions missed the front end of two free throws with 0.6 seconds left and on the Lakers’ last gasp, guard Nick Young’s 27-footer was blocked and the Bucks escaped with the victory.
Sessions finished with 22 and Khris Middleton added 14 for Milwaukee (14-58), which shot 56 percent from the field and made six of 10 3-point attempts to finish a season-sweep of the Lakers (24-46) for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
Tied at 77 after center Robert Sacre made two free throws with 2:46 left in the third, Milwaukee went on a 17-5 run, going ahead by 12 with 8:52 left in the game when guard Ramon Sessions connected from 27 feet to make it 94-82.
Forward Jordan Hill rallied the Lakers back, scoring on three of five Lakers possessions and made it a five-point game on a jumper from guard Jodie Meeks with 4:37.
Swingman Nick Young had a chance to make it a one-point game with a minute to play but his 3-point attempt from the left wing caught iron and Milwaukee went back up five on forward Khris Middleton’s jumper with 21.4 left.
Hill led the Lakers with 28 points and finished with 16 rebounds. Young chipped in 17 while center Chris Kaman had 13 and guard Jodie Weeks added 10.
Hill made seven of his first 10 attempts and grabbed 11 rebounds in the first half but the Bucks hit seven of their first nine shots and Knight scored 13 points on six of 10 shooting to help the Bucks take a 55-53 lead at the break.
The Bucks got a scare midway through the final quarter when rookie forward Giannis Antetokounmpo went to the ground after stepping awkwardly on the foot of Young.
Antetokounmpo walked off the court on his own but did not return.
Team officials later said Antetokounmpo sprained his right ankle.
NOTES: The Lakers played in Milwaukee without G Kobe Bryant for the first time since 2007, which also marked the last time the Bucks won the season series between the teams. … Milwaukee beat Los Angeles 94-79 on New Year’s Eve. … The Bucks learned Thursday that F Ersan Ilyasova was done for the season after getting a second opinion on his ailing right ankle. … Bucks G OJ Mayo was also unavailable Thursday because of a sore right ankle. … Lakers C Chris Kaman did not travel on the team charter from Los Angeles to Milwaukee because of “personal reasons” but joined the Lakers about 30 minutes before tip-off.
