MY ACCOUNT
Jrue Holiday insisted the Milwaukee Bucks cannot reflect on their dramatic win over the Miami Heat for too long.
Holiday came up with the game-winning lay-up as the Bucks edged out the Heat 120-119 on Wednesday, having trailed by 14 points heading into the final six minutes.
It capped a six-game home stretch in style, though Milwaukee now face tough matchups against the Chicago Bulls and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns.
“We can’t really dwell on this win,” Holiday told reporters. “We accept it and we love it, but these games are not stopping.”
Holiday had 25 points and 11 assists, though Giannis Antetokounmpo was Milwaukee’s standout performer with double-double of 28 points and 17 rebounds, with the Greek adding a further five assists.
“We’ve done it before,” Antetokounmpo said as the Bucks moved to 38-25 for the season.
“We did it against Boston. We were down 13 in the Christmas game and came back and won the game.”
Coach Mike Budenholzer said: “The guys found a way. They’d do anything they could to keep them from putting it in.
“A lot of plays down the stretch, a lot of guys did things to contribute. The team just stuck to it tonight, played for 48, found a way to get a win against a tough team. A hell of an NBA game.”
Antetokounmpo, however, was also involved in a contentious moment that kick-started Milwaukee’s comeback.
The Bucks’ talisman forced a jump ball against Jimmy Butler, which the Heat believed was worthy of a foul, though no such call came.
“I’m not going to go on a big rant about the officiating,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I’m just shocked. I’m shocked that wasn’t a foul on Jimmy as we were trying to inbound.
“We certainly had some other opportunities to be able to close out the game, particularly when we were up four. That’s just the way it goes.
“I just can’t imagine from my vantage point how that wasn’t a foul.
“We did enough for 47 minutes and change to put ourselves in position to win this game. We just couldn’t close it out.”
Antetokounmpo, of course, pleaded his innocence.
He explained: “I was able to get my hands on the ball, and at the end of the day, when you want to win, things just happen. That’s just instinct talking.”
