Bucks erase 24-point deficit to beat Thunder 128-126 after late swing at Paycom Center

Oklahoma City owned the first half until Milwaukee changed the game

The opening 24 minutes looked nothing like a road comeback. Oklahoma City poured in 44 points in the first quarter, then added 38 more in the second to reach halftime ahead 82-64. The Thunder got there with efficient offence from nearly every direction: Aday Mara was perfect around the basket, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not miss a field goal in his 18 minutes, Alex Caruso hit four threes, and Jalen Williams kept the ball moving while scoring 16 points of his own.

The high point of that surge came with 3:21 left in the second quarter, when Mara's dunk pushed the Thunder lead to 73-49. That stood as Oklahoma City's largest advantage of the night, and it reflected how quickly the game had tilted. Mara repeatedly finished inside, Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander stretched the floor, and the Thunder kept finding assisted baskets on the way to 34 team assists.

Milwaukee did not erase the damage all at once, but the third quarter finally changed the shape of the game. The Bucks won the period 33-20, cutting the deficit from 18 at the break to 102-97 entering the fourth. Myles Turner kept the scoreboard moving with free throws, a tip shot and a three, Kel'el Ware scored from the paint and the line, and Ryan Rollins added a timely three as Milwaukee began to turn missed shots into second chances.

A 10-point lead vanished, and the last 90 seconds belonged to the Bucks

Even then, Oklahoma City still had room to breathe. Bennett Stirtz opened the fourth with a barrage, hitting three separate three-pointers in the period's first five minutes. When Brooks Barnhizer added a dunk and Stirtz drilled another triple at 7:28, the Thunder were back in front 113-103. After spending much of the third quarter absorbing pressure, Oklahoma City appeared to have reset the terms.

Instead, that was the start of Milwaukee's decisive push. Pete Nance buried threes at 6:36 and 5:24, Bogoljub Markovic made two free throws to level the score at 113-113, and Brayden Burries nudged the Bucks in front with a free throw at 4:18. That sequence mattered because it flipped the emotional balance without requiring a shooting heater. Milwaukee simply kept extending possessions, kept getting to the line and forced the Thunder to play a close game after leading comfortably for most of the night.

The finish stayed sharp and messy at the same time, exactly what a comeback game usually becomes. Stirtz hit again from deep at 1:32 to give Oklahoma City a 121-118 lead, but Burries answered with a layup, then tied the game at 122-122 with a dunk at 1:04. Cormac Ryan's driving layup with 28.7 seconds left put Milwaukee ahead 124-122, Burries added two free throws at 7.4 seconds, and Ousmane Dieng followed with two more at 4.0. Oklahoma City still found two late baskets through Otega Oweh and Barnhizer, but the Bucks had finally created just enough separation to survive.

Our take: extra possessions beat cleaner offence

The box score makes the comeback easier to understand. Oklahoma City shot better from the field, 49.5 per cent to 46.3, and better from three, 37.0 per cent to 31.8. The Thunder also finished with more assists, 34 to 31. Yet Milwaukee won the rebounding battle 59-39 and collected 20 offensive boards to Oklahoma City's eight. In a two-point game, that volume matters more than style. The Bucks did not need prettier offence; they needed more opportunities, and they created them.

Milwaukee also got a balanced scoring line that held up deep into the comeback. Turner scored 19 points in 22 minutes, Ware had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Burries added 16, and Rollins paired 12 points with seven assists. Dieng matched Rollins with seven assists, giving the Bucks enough playmaking even without a single 20-point scorer. For Oklahoma City, the missed chance is clear in the numbers: Mara's 22 points on 10-for-10 shooting should anchor a win, and Stirtz's 20 points nearly rescued it late. Gilgeous-Alexander was 5-for-5 from the field, and Jalen Williams added 16 points and six assists. That is usually more than enough offence.

If there is a lesson here, it sits with the possessions that never ended. Oklahoma City can look first at the glass after surrendering a 20-rebound deficit, especially after leading by 24 and by 10 in the fourth. Milwaukee, meanwhile, has its own warning label despite the result: allowing 82 first-half points and committing 17 turnovers is not a formula to count on. On this night, the Bucks were saved by persistence, rebounding and a closing stretch that finally turned a long chase into a narrow escape.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 11:43

   Cason Wallace makes running layup (Alex Caruso assists)

2. 1st Quarter · 11:33

   Jaime Jaquez Jr. makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ryan Rollins assists)

3. 1st Quarter · 11:07

   Myles Turner makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jaime Jaquez Jr. assists)

4. 1st Quarter · 10:23

   Jaime Jaquez Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2

5. 1st Quarter · 10:23

   Jaime Jaquez Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2

6. 1st Quarter · 10:12

   Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jalen Williams assists)

7. 1st Quarter · 9:53

   Jaime Jaquez Jr. makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ryan Rollins assists)

8. 1st Quarter · 9:43

   Jalen Williams makes driving layup

9. 1st Quarter · 9:35

   Ryan Rollins makes 4-foot driving floating jump shot

10. 1st Quarter · 9:22

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes 14-foot pullup jump shot

11. 1st Quarter · 8:43

    Aday Mara makes running dunk (Cason Wallace assists)

12. 1st Quarter · 8:02

    Ryan Rollins makes 25-foot three pointer

13. 1st Quarter · 7:51

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes two point shot (Cason Wallace assists)

14. 1st Quarter · 7:36

    Jaime Jaquez Jr. makes driving layup (Kel'el Ware assists)

15. 1st Quarter · 7:10

    Alex Caruso makes 22-foot three point jumper (Cason Wallace assists)

16. 1st Quarter · 6:47

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes 24-foot three point jumper (Cason Wallace assists)

17. 1st Quarter · 6:30

    Kel'el Ware makes 1-foot driving dunk (Ryan Rollins assists)

18. 1st Quarter · 6:18

    Alex Caruso makes 22-foot three point jumper (Jalen Williams assists)

19. 1st Quarter · 5:57

    Jalen Williams makes two point shot

20. 1st Quarter · 5:44

    Jalen Williams makes running layup

21. 1st Quarter · 5:27

    Myles Turner makes 1-foot layup (Ousmane Dieng assists)

22. 1st Quarter · 5:03

    Kenrich Williams makes 23-foot three point jumper (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assists)

23. 1st Quarter · 4:46

    Myles Turner makes 5-foot two point shot (Ousmane Dieng assists)

24. 1st Quarter · 4:35

    Jalen Williams makes driving layup (Ajay Mitchell assists)

25. 1st Quarter · 4:08

    Ousmane Dieng makes 7-foot driving floating jump shot (Nate Ament assists)

26. 1st Quarter · 3:45

    Kasparas Jakucionis makes 26-foot three pointer (Ousmane Dieng assists)

27. 1st Quarter · 3:23

    Myles Turner makes free throw 2 of 2

28. 1st Quarter · 3:13

    Jared McCain makes 25-foot three point jumper (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assists)

29. 1st Quarter · 2:55

    Nate Ament makes free throw 2 of 2

30. 1st Quarter · 2:38

    Aday Mara makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assists)

31. 1st Quarter · 1:33

    Jared McCain makes 26-foot three point jumper (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assists)

32. 1st Quarter · 1:31

    Ajay Mitchell makes free throw flagrant 1 of 2

33. 1st Quarter · 43.4

    Brayden Burries makes 3-foot running pullup jump shot

34. 1st Quarter · 39.8

    Jalen Williams makes 1-foot dunk (Jared McCain assists)

35. 1st Quarter · 30.8

    Brayden Burries makes 17-foot pullup jump shot

36. 1st Quarter · 15.7

    Aday Mara makes 2-foot dunk (Jalen Williams assists)

37. 2nd Quarter · 11:11

    Ryan Rollins makes 18-foot step back jumpshot (Jericho Sims assists)

38. 2nd Quarter · 11:00

    Alex Caruso makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jalen Williams assists)

39. 2nd Quarter · 10:33

    Aday Mara makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Ajay Mitchell assists)

40. 2nd Quarter · 10:07

    Kel'el Ware makes tip shot

41. 2nd Quarter · 9:48

    Kel'el Ware makes 3-foot driving floating jump shot (Ryan Rollins assists)

42. 2nd Quarter · 9:33

    Jalen Williams makes 3-foot driving floating jump shot (Aday Mara assists)

43. 2nd Quarter · 8:49

    Jericho Sims makes tip shot

44. 2nd Quarter · 8:43

    Cason Wallace makes 25-foot three pointer

45. 2nd Quarter · 8:19

    Jared McCain makes 24-foot running pullup jump shot (Alex Caruso assists)

46. 2nd Quarter · 7:53

    Jalen Williams makes running layup (Jared McCain assists)

47. 2nd Quarter · 7:38

    Cason Wallace makes free throw clear path 1 of 2

48. 2nd Quarter · 7:38

    Cason Wallace makes free throw clear path 2 of 2

49. 2nd Quarter · 7:26

    Ajay Mitchell makes 3-foot two point shot (Cason Wallace assists)

50. 2nd Quarter · 7:04

    Jaime Jaquez Jr. makes 24-foot three point jumper (Ryan Rollins assists)

51. 2nd Quarter · 6:48

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes free throw 1 of 2

52. 2nd Quarter · 6:48

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes free throw 2 of 2

53. 2nd Quarter · 6:08

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ajay Mitchell assists)

54. 2nd Quarter · 4:41

    Kasparas Jakucionis makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ousmane Dieng assists)

55. 2nd Quarter · 4:21

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes free throw 1 of 2

56. 2nd Quarter · 4:21

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes free throw 2 of 2

57. 2nd Quarter · 3:51

    Aday Mara makes free throw 1 of 2

58. 2nd Quarter · 3:21

    Aday Mara makes 1-foot running dunk (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander assists)

59. 2nd Quarter · 3:05

    Tyler Herro makes 5-foot floating jump shot

60. 2nd Quarter · 2:36

    Nate Ament makes 1-foot dunk (Ousmane Dieng assists)

61. 2nd Quarter · 2:20

    Alex Caruso makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jalen Williams assists)

62. 2nd Quarter · 2:06

    Tyler Herro makes 25-foot three point jumper (Kasparas Jakucionis assists)

63. 2nd Quarter · 1:19

    Tyler Herro makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jaime Jaquez Jr. assists)

64. 2nd Quarter · 1:01

    Aday Mara makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Jalen Williams assists)

65. 2nd Quarter · 49.1

    Ryan Rollins makes 7-foot driving floating jump shot (Jaime Jaquez Jr. assists)

66. 2nd Quarter · 31.3

    Aday Mara makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Cason Wallace assists)

67. 2nd Quarter · 20.0

    Tyler Herro makes 26-foot three point jumper (Ryan Rollins assists)

68. 2nd Quarter · 1.4

    Jalen Williams makes driving layup

69. 3rd Quarter · 11:23

    Aday Mara makes 9-foot floating jump shot (Ajay Mitchell assists)

70. 3rd Quarter · 11:11

    Myles Turner makes free throw 1 of 2

71. 3rd Quarter · 11:11

    Myles Turner makes free throw 2 of 2

72. 3rd Quarter · 10:51

    Bennett Stirtz makes 1-foot layup (Aday Mara assists)

73. 3rd Quarter · 10:24

    Myles Turner makes tip shot

74. 3rd Quarter · 10:06

    Aday Mara makes 1-foot two point shot

75. 3rd Quarter · 9:31

    Myles Turner makes free throw 1 of 2

76. 3rd Quarter · 9:31

    Myles Turner makes free throw 2 of 2

77. 3rd Quarter · 9:19

    Aday Mara makes layup (Ajay Mitchell assists)

78. 3rd Quarter · 9:19

    Aday Mara makes free throw 1 of 1

79. 3rd Quarter · 8:57

    Kel'el Ware makes 1-foot dunk (Tyler Herro assists)

80. 3rd Quarter · 8:01

    Kel'el Ware makes 10-foot floating jump shot (Tyler Herro assists)

81. 3rd Quarter · 7:21

    Myles Turner makes 25-foot three point jumper (Tyler Herro assists)

82. 3rd Quarter · 6:19

    Kel'el Ware makes free throw 1 of 2

83. 3rd Quarter · 6:19

    Kel'el Ware makes free throw 2 of 2

84. 3rd Quarter · 5:55

    Tyler Herro makes 4-foot driving floating jump shot

85. 3rd Quarter · 5:38

    Kel'el Ware makes free throw 2 of 2

86. 3rd Quarter · 4:50

    Myles Turner makes free throw 1 of 2

87. 3rd Quarter · 4:50

    Myles Turner makes free throw 2 of 2

88. 3rd Quarter · 4:35

    Ousmane Dieng makes running layup (Ryan Rollins assists)

89. 3rd Quarter · 4:07

    Ryan Rollins makes 26-foot three pointer (Jericho Sims assists)

90. 3rd Quarter · 3:54

    Andrew Holifield makes free throw 1 of 2

91. 3rd Quarter · 3:54

    Andrew Holifield makes free throw 2 of 2

92. 3rd Quarter · 2:49

    Kasparas Jakucionis makes two point shot (Brayden Burries assists)

93. 3rd Quarter · 2:36

    Jared McCain makes 11-foot pullup jump shot

94. 3rd Quarter · 1:49

    Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 2 of 2

95. 3rd Quarter · 1:35

    Ousmane Dieng makes 1-foot layup (Kasparas Jakucionis assists)

96. 3rd Quarter · 1:23

    Josh Dix makes 23-foot three point jumper (Bennett Stirtz assists)

97. 3rd Quarter · 1:15

    Kasparas Jakucionis makes free throw 1 of 2

98. 3rd Quarter · 1:15

    Kasparas Jakucionis makes free throw 2 of 2

99. 3rd Quarter · 1:08

    Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 1 of 2

100. 3rd Quarter · 55.8

     Jericho Sims makes 1-foot dunk (Kasparas Jakucionis assists)

101. 3rd Quarter · 1.1

     Bennett Stirtz makes 16-foot step back jumpshot (Andrew Holifield assists)

102. 4th Quarter · 11:43

     Jericho Sims makes driving dunk (Ousmane Dieng assists)

103. 4th Quarter · 10:48

     Kel'el Ware makes reverse layup (Kasparas Jakucionis assists)

104. 4th Quarter · 10:31

     Bennett Stirtz makes 26-foot three point shot

105. 4th Quarter · 9:36

     Kel'el Ware makes driving layup

106. 4th Quarter · 8:37

     Bennett Stirtz makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot

107. 4th Quarter · 8:03

     Brooks Barnhizer makes running dunk (Bennett Stirtz assists)

108. 4th Quarter · 7:28

     Bennett Stirtz makes 25-foot three point jumper (Anthony Pritchard assists)

109. 4th Quarter · 7:15

     Kel'el Ware makes free throw 2 of 2

110. 4th Quarter · 6:36

     Pete Nance makes 22-foot three point jumper (Kam Jones assists)

111. 4th Quarter · 5:24

     Pete Nance makes 23-foot three point jumper (Kam Jones assists)

112. 4th Quarter · 4:47

     Brayden Burries makes free throw 1 of 2

113. 4th Quarter · 4:46

     Bogoljub Markovic makes free throw 1 of 2

114. 4th Quarter · 4:46

     Bogoljub Markovic makes free throw 2 of 2

115. 4th Quarter · 4:18

     Brayden Burries makes free throw 2 of 2

116. 4th Quarter · 3:33

     Brayden Burries makes two point shot

117. 4th Quarter · 3:22

     Brooks Barnhizer makes 5-foot fade away jump shot

118. 4th Quarter · 2:48

     Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 1 of 2

119. 4th Quarter · 2:48

     Bennett Stirtz makes free throw 2 of 2

120. 4th Quarter · 2:37

     Anthony Pritchard makes free throw 1 of 2

121. 4th Quarter · 2:13

     Brayden Burries makes free throw 1 of 2

122. 4th Quarter · 2:13

     Brayden Burries makes free throw 2 of 2

123. 4th Quarter · 1:32

     Bennett Stirtz makes 25-foot three point jumper (Anthony Pritchard assists)

124. 4th Quarter · 1:22

     Brayden Burries makes driving layup

125. 4th Quarter · 1:12

     Anthony Pritchard makes free throw 2 of 2

126. 4th Quarter · 1:04

     Brayden Burries makes 1-foot running dunk

127. 4th Quarter · 28.7

     Cormac Ryan makes driving layup (Ousmane Dieng assists)

128. 4th Quarter · 7.4

     Brayden Burries makes free throw 1 of 2

129. 4th Quarter · 7.4

     Brayden Burries makes free throw 2 of 2

130. 4th Quarter · 5.0

     Otega Oweh makes 6-foot driving floating jump shot (Brooks Barnhizer assists)

131. 4th Quarter · 4.0

     Ousmane Dieng makes free throw 1 of 2

132. 4th Quarter · 4.0

     Ousmane Dieng makes free throw 2 of 2

133. 4th Quarter · 0.5

     Brooks Barnhizer makes tip shot