Damian Lillard scored 37 points and had 12 assists to help the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 106-103 in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.
This win marked the Bucks’ fifth straight victory and their seventh win in the last eight games.
Lillard made 10 of 17 shots, including 8 of 13 from beyond the 3-point line.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who leads the NBA in scoring with an average of 32.4 points per game, missed the game because of swelling in his left knee.
Also, three-time All-Star Khris Middleton has not played yet this season after undergoing surgery on both of his ankles.
The Bucks, who are 3-0 in East Group B of the NBA Cup, led the game from start to finish.
Miami, with a 1-2 record in East Group B, was led by Jimmy Butler, who scored 23 points. Tyler Herro added 18 points.
Heat guard Terry Rozier returned after missing two games because of a right foot injury. He scored 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
Milwaukee led 31-20 after the first quarter, thanks to 17 points from Lillard. He made his first four 3-pointers, and the Bucks shot 55 percent from the field in the quarter.
In the second quarter, Lillard added eight points to help the Bucks increase their lead to 65-51 by halftime. Miami shot 56.2 percent in the second quarter, but Milwaukee was even better, making 59.1 percent of their shots.
In the third quarter, the Bucks extended their lead to 22 points. However, Miami made a comeback and cut the deficit to 85-80 by the end of the quarter. Lillard scored 10 points in the third, but the Bucks’ shooting cooled off to 46.2 percent.
Miami tied the game at 96-96 when Butler made a layup with 4:02 left in the game.
In the final minute, the Bucks led 104-103 and appeared to have a 3-pointer from AJ Green. However, the shot came just after the 24-second shot clock expired, leading to a turnover with five seconds remaining.
Miami had a chance to take its first lead of the game, but Herro missed an open 3-pointer from the top of the key. Taurean Prince of the Bucks grabbed the rebound and hit two free throws to give Milwaukee a 106-103 lead with 1.2 seconds left.
Miami had one last shot to tie the game and send it to overtime, but Rozier missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the game ended.
