Jason Kidd and the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t finish where they hoped in 2015-16, but the season still brought some terrific times for the young squad.
As J-Kidd and Co. work toward owning the future, we’re counting down their Top 5 games from this past season, starting with a brilliant glimpse of the future provided by three of the team’s youngest players.
No. 3: Bucks Outlast Hawks in 2OT
Jason Kidd’s Milwaukee Bucks earned their first win after the all-star break in dramatic fashion on Feb. 20.
A strong effort from the Bucks’ young star players, along with a big contribution off the bench, gave Milwaukee a 117-109 double overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Three Bucks players posted double-doubles. Jabari Parker led the way with 28 points and 13 rebounds, Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Greg Monroe came off the bench to score 24 points and grab 12 rebounds. Michael Carter-Williams also made a big splash off the bench, scoring 17 points and getting nine rebounds.
Although the game went to two overtimes, the Bucks spent most of the time in control. That started early, when the Bucks jumped out to a 5-0 lead, thanks to a Parker dunk.
“I think he’s really finding his rhythm,” Jason said of Parker. “He’s getting on the glass, he’s getting to the rim and he’s knocking down some shots.”
Milwaukee continued to build its lead, as a Khris Middleton 20-foot jump shot extended the lead to 18-9. The Hawks came back, however, when a running three-point jumper from Dennis Schroeder tied the game at 24. The Bucks maintained a narrow 31-29 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was close throughout, with the largest lead coming when Parker downed a pair of free throws to put the Bucks up 54-47. At halftime, Milwaukee was clinging to a 54-50 lead.
The score remained tight in the third quarter, but Monroe drained a couple free throws to push the Bucks ahead 69-62 with 4:11 left in the period. At the end of the third quarter, the Bucks had pushed it to a seven-point, 75-68, advantage.
Milwaukee held on to the lead until the Hawks tied the game at 85 with 4:48 left to play. The Bucks surged ahead 92-88, but a Schroeder three-pointer with three seconds on the game clock knotted the score at 94 to send the game to overtime.
The Bucks trailed throughout most of the overtime period, but Monroe hit a clutch putback to put Milwaukee in front late in overtime 104-103. Atlanta tied the game once again at 105 to send the game to a second overtime.
Unlike the first overtime, the second extra period was never in doubt for Milwaukee. Carter-Williams hit a few big shots to allow the Bucks to score the first 10 points in double overtime.
“I think that we kept our endurance, especially in the first few minutes of the second overtime, seeing our energy go up to another level, going off of Mike’s coattails,” Parker said. “He was a very good leader for us. We just got on his back and rode him.”
With the Bucks holding a 115-105 lead late in double overtime, the Hawks were unable to mount a comeback.
The win was a sign of the Bucks’ poise throughout the season in overtimes, as Milwaukee went undefeated in games that lasted longer than four quarters.
In addition, the Bucks’ win over the Hawks showed that, although the team is still growing, the players are capable of playing at a high level against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.
“They never looked at each other like here we go again,” Jason said. “We didn’t quit.”
