Sunday night's game-winning 30-foot buzzer-beater was amazing, but the Kings lost as much as Lillard and the Bucks. In the final minutes of their 143-142 overtime defeat at Fiserv Forum, the Kings failed to capitalize following coach Mike Brown's fourth-quarter expulsion.
Sacramento took over after Lillard missed a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left in OT and Milwaukee trailing four. Two straight take fouls by Bucks guard Pat Connaughton put Malik Monk to the line for two free throws that could almost secure a Kings win.
It was Sacramento nightmares when Monk missed both free throws before Bucks center Brook Lopez hit a 3-pointer to trim the Kings' lead to one with 11 seconds left. With 2022-23 NBA Clutch Player of the Year De'Aaron Fox stepping to the line for two free-throw tries, the Kings seemed in control and might win or force a second overtime.
Uncharacteristically, Fox, Sacramento's rock in these circumstances, missed one of the two shots, setting up an ending that seemed unimaginable seconds before. Lillard scored the unlikely with five seconds remaining as the Bucks inbounded the ball under their own hoop, sending the Kings to Tuesday's road-trip-capping game in Phoenix in agony.
A few defensive lapses," Monk told reporters. "Lillard is notorious for scoring huge shots inside the 3-point line, so you have to force him inside, especially when the game is on the line. Kevin Huerter probably left Pat Connaughton to give up that three. We made defensive mistakes that would have won the game
Former bench guard Huerter began and scored 20 points for the first time since Nov. 28 before the Kings collapsed. He had 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting in 39 minutes and six 3-pointers, including a crucial long shot that could have given Sacramento the lead in OT. Fox scored 32 points in his 14th game of the season, including a critical shot to force overtime.
After missing a chance in Sacramento's last game in Philadelphia, Domantas Sabonis put on a passing clinic in Milwaukee for his 10th triple-double of the season. Sabonis shot 9/10 from the field for 21 points, 15 assists, and 13 rebounds in a team-high 45 minutes.
The Kings (23-16) nearly won their biggest win of the season against the Bucks (28-12), but they tossed it away in tragic manner. To stay in the Western Conference, where they're sixth, they must rebound from this stomach hit.