Wizards shock Bucks, 129-126

Washington has now won 66% of its last three games.

CJ McCollum scored in 28 points, punctuating the night with a cold-blooded step-back three with 14.4 seconds left as the Washington Wizards edged the Milwaukee Bucks 129–126 on Monday. Washington, once mired in a 14-game skid, has now won two of its last three, while Milwaukee managed only a split against two of the league’s bottom teams.

In a wild final stretch, the game was knotted at 115 after former Buck Khris Middleton drilled a deep three for Washington. Giannis Antetokounmpo momentarily regained control for Milwaukee, muscling in a three-point play despite nearly losing the ball on a drive, then finishing an alley-oop to put the Bucks up five with just over three minutes remaining.

But the Wizards punched back. Middleton’s second clutch three gave Washington a two-point lead with 52.2 seconds left. After Antetokounmpo went 1-of-2 at the line, an ongoing theme on a night he shot 6-for-11, McCollum buried his shot-clock-beating triple, stretching the lead to four.

Bilal Coulibaly sealed it moments later, picking off a pass and hammering home a dunk with 5.4 seconds left while drawing Antetokounmpo’s sixth foul.

Kevin Porter Jr. was brilliant for Milwaukee in just his third game of the season, scoring 30 points in his return from knee surgery after also dealing with an ankle sprain. Antetokounmpo finished with 26 but struggled at the stripe.

Milwaukee had led by 16, up 81–65 in the third, before Washington stormed back to tie the game before the quarter ended.

Up next:

*Bucks: Host the Pistons on Wednesday.

Wizards: Visit the 76ers on Tuesday.*