Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 141-140 OT win over Sacramento Kings
It took until the final few seconds of overtime for the Milwaukee Bucks to escape the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night and log their sixth straight victory.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ four-game West coast swing got off to an intense start as they pulled out a 141-140 overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night at the Golden 1 Center.
Although both teams got off to solid starts, the early pace suited the fast paced Kings as they held an early edge midway through the first quarter. Eventually, the Kings’ hot shooting cooled off just as the Bucks took the reins in terms of dictating the pace, which gave them a 34-33 advantage at the end of one.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
The tight affair carried over into the second quarter as the Kings continued to breathe down the Bucks’ proverbial neck.
However, the Bucks hit an extra gear near the latter minutes of the first half and following a late scoring flurry, the Bucks took a 73-62 lead into the halftime break.
Milwaukee’s second half got off to a ragged start, leaving the door open for the Kings to turn up the heat once again.
But a much needed timeout from head coach Mike Budenholzer four minutes into the third period proved to be what the Bucks needed at that point as they blew open the game in their favor and held their biggest lead of the contest (17) at the 3:34 mark of the quarter.
Holding a 104-91 lead at the start of the fourth, the Bucks continued to fend off the ever resilient Kings and maintain their grasp of the game midway through the final frame. Slowly but surely, though, the Bucks’ control loosened as the Kings eventually broke through with a two-point lead with 28 seconds remaining in regulation.
A big sequence from Eric Bledsoe, in which he put home a hard fought layup with 11 seconds to go and put in a crucial stop on the Kings’ dynamic guard De’Aaron Fox on the ensuing possession, helped force overtime.
The overtime period fell into the familiar rhythm of the Bucks taking early advantage and the Kings storming back for one big final push. But a crucial clutch three from Malcolm Brogdon, as well as a pair of free throws by Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic, sealed the Bucks’ ninth straight road victory.
So without further ado, let’s break down what stood out the most in the Bucks’ thrilling overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings, starting with the stupendous performances from the team’s starting backcourt.