The Milwaukee Bucks defeated Minnesota, the top team in the Western Conference, 112-107 on Friday, capping the NBA All-Star break with a performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo that included 33 points and 13 rebounds.
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 a 17-point deficit to four points thanks to a three-pointer by Anthony Edwards.
To restore the lead to seven points, Antetokounmpo pulled down two offensive rebounds and scored three free throws.
Edwards made two more critical 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.
“Dame does that,” Antetokounmpo remarked. “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 an altercation 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 after 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 floor, 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.
After things were back in order, New Orleans took a 91-89 lead, but the Heat, who had previously led by as much as 19, answered with an 11-0 scoring run to take back the lead.
Erik Spoelstra, the coach of the Heat, stated of the altercation, “Nobody wants to witness anything like that.” He thought it resulted from a “misunderstanding” of what transpired on the play when Williamson fell.
Spoelstra stated, “I genuinely believe Zion stumbled during the play when K-Love grabbed him.” “Everyone then reacted a little too strongly.
“I believe that K-Love was perceived as having thrown Wilson to the ground. I don’t think he could take down K-Love on his finest day.”
“Only competitive”
With 23 points to lead the Pelicans, Williamson claimed that Love had truly attempted to shield him from harm when he fell. Though he could see how things were about to get out of hand, he tried to settle things down.
It’s merely competitive, according to Williamson. “It’s riders supporting their colleagues.”
A brawl broke out in San Francisco as well, as players scuffled during the final seconds of the Warriors’ 97-84 victory over the Hornets, leading to the ejection of Lester Quinones of Golden State and Grant Williams of Charlotte.
In the Warriors’ victory over his brother Seth’s Hornets, Stephen Curry scored 15 points to lead the team. This was the fewest points a Warriors opponent had scored since 2022.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 123-118 thanks to LeBron James’ comeback from an ankle injury. James scored 30 points, dished out nine assists, and pulled down seven rebounds.
Wembanyama became the 15th player, and the youngest ever, to record the statistical “5×5″—at least five points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals in a single game—with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, five blocked shots, and five thefts.
James described Wembanyama as “unique,” saying, “I’ve said it since the beginning.”
