Nets Survive Late Scare, Win Season Series vs. Bucks for First Time in 11 Years

Brooklyn's stars shined in Milwaukee.

Jan 2, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Facing a three-game losing streak, Thursday night's tilt against the Bucks in Milwaukee was a pivotal interconference matchup for the Brooklyn Nets. After narrowly defeating the then-banged-up NBA Cup champions exactly a week ago, Brooklyn replicated its success in another nailbiting 113-110 win on the road.

From the opening tip, the Nets were essentially playing five-on-three.

No Bucks outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton gave Brooklyn many issues on the offensive end.

The trio combined for 30 points early, but the visitors scoring attack was far superior.

Early on, it was the playmaking from D'Angelo Russell and finishing by Nic Claxton that led the way, as the Nets placed a clear emphasis on the alley-oop. That may have been a head-scratching decision considering Milwaukee deploys a Defensive Player of the Year (Antetokounmpo) and runner-up for the same award (Brook Lopez) in its frontcourt, but the accolades weren't evident in the first half.

Jan 2, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) in the first halfat Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Russell posted 11 points and 4 assists to go along with Claxton's Eight points, but it was Cam Thomas who provided the bulk of Brooklyn's 66 points at the break.

Off the bench, the 23-year-old provided an instant impact, exploding for 17 points through just eight minutes of action in his second game back from injury.

Cam Johnson played second fiddle, tallying 10 of his own while hitting two of his four attempts from beyond the arc.

The relentless offensive push powered a decisive 16-4 run to cap off the first quarter, giving the Nets a double-digit advantage — one they smoothly extended to a 66-54 lead by halftime.

In the face of adversity, the hosts spiraled deeper into chaos in the third frame.

Brooklyn orchestrated a 14-2 run led by Russell and Claxton, lifting Jordi Fernandez's squad to as large as a 24-point edge in the early stages of the second half.

Jan 2, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Just as things began looking grim, the Bucks rallied back in a hurry.

Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee's depth duo of Bobby Portis Jr. and Gary Trent put together a 17-4 run to trim their deficit back down to just nine heading into the final 12 minutes of play.

But it wouldn't last. On the brink of letting another monster lead crumble (see Dec. 29's loss to Orlando), Thomas and Johnson quickly got back to their offensive dominance to extend the advantage back to 19.

Then, chaos switched sides.

The Bucks forced the Nets into a six-minute-long scoring drought, generating a 20-0 run to cut their gap to just one with 23.1 seconds to play.

To make matters worse, Russell went down with an apparent leg injury and was helped to Brooklyn's locker room. Down the stretch without its now-primary facilitator, the home crowd came alive.

Jan 2, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) puts up a shot against Brooklyn Nets guard De'Anthony Melton (8) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Antetokounmpo brought the ball up and drove to the hole but couldn't connect on his last-second lay. Ziaire Williams corralled the rebound before getting fouled, promptly hitting both free throws to push the lead back to three.

As Lillard's game-tying attempt back-rimmed, Johnson twisted his ankle on the rebound while falling out of bounds with .6 seconds to play and immediately headed to the locker room. Lillard missed a second game-tying chance well short, allowing the Nets to escape despite the collapse.

Having clinched the season series versus Milwaukee for the first time in over a decade while snapping a three-game losing streak, the Nets now shift focus to Saturday's home matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers at 6 p.m. EST.

To access the final box score from the Nets' win over the Bucks, click here.

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