Clipped at the buzzer
Irving’s off-balance shot fails; Bucks top fellow East power
MILWAUKEE — A game that was messy and without flow throughout suddenly turned intense and frenetic at the end, with two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference exchanging big baskets and daring the other to match them.
In the end, though, Kyrie Irving’s off-balance one-handed shot at the buzzer was the last miss that mattered, as the Bucks escaped with a 98-97 win on Thursday night and solidified their standing atop the East.
The Bucks had inched ahead, 95-92, before Irving zipped a behind-the-back pass to Al Horford for a 3-pointer that tied the score with 54.7 seconds left.
At the other end, however, Kris Middle- ton drilled a three to put Milwaukee back ahead, 98-95.
After a timeout, Irving dashed to the hoop for an easy layup with 27.5 seconds left, which was significant because it left the Celtics enough time to play defense instead of fouling.
The Celtics forced a jump ball with just 0.2 seconds left on the shot clock, which is not enough time to catch the ball. Giannis Antetokounmpo tipped the ball to Brook Lopez, but the Bucks were called for a shot-clock violation, giving Boston the ball with 3.5 seconds left.
The inbounds pass came to Irving at the top of the key. He drove to the hoop and had no real angle to shoot, so he flipped an off-balance left-handed shot over his head, and it caromed off the back rim.
Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Bucks.
Irving had a team-high 22 points but made just 9 of 27 shots. Horford had 21 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.