Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks bounce back to tie NBA play-offs

LOS ANGELES – Despite injuries to their star players, both the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies bounced back to level their respective National Basketball Association (NBA) play-off series with crucial victories on Wednesday.

Top seeds Milwaukee shrugged off Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence to thrash the Miami Heat 138-122 to tie their best-of-seven Eastern Conference series at 1-1.

In the Western Conference, Memphis overcame the loss of their star man Ja Morant before grinding out an attritional 103-93 win over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to also tie their series at 1-1.

Xavier Tillman scored 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the Grizzlies’ victory in Memphis.

“Obviously, this is a big win for us,” said Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins on ESPN. “You know, great performance from him (Tillman), other guys as well.”

A bruising game saw Anthony Davis of the Lakers suffer a cut on his right eyelid, while James was drawn into a verbal back and forth with Memphis’ Dillon Brooks.

The Grizzlies led by as many as 16 points on the way to a 59-44 half-time lead, as the harried Lakers failed to find a way to get their offence firing.

Davis blocked five shots in the first half but connected on just one of nine shot attempts.

He finished with 13 points on four-of-14 shooting.

James led all scorers with 28 points and Japan’s Rui Hachimura added 20 to become the first Laker to score 20 points off the bench in back-to-back play-off games since Magic Johnson in 1996.

But unlike in Game 1, there would be no late resurgence from the Lakers, as the Grizzlies absorbed their second-half push.

Jaren Jackson Jr, the newly named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, scored 18 points for Memphis, Desmond Bane added 17 and Brooks chipped in with 12.

Tyus Jones, starting in place of Morant, added 10 points and eight assists.

“They’re just as dangerous a team when Tyus is starting,” James said.

“They don’t miss a beat, and we knew that. No matter if Ja’s in the game.

“If Ja’s starting, dangerous. If Tyus is starting, dangerous. It didn’t change our approach.”

Over in the East, the Bucks barely missed Antetokounmpo as they crushed the Heat at Fiserv Forum.

With the talismanic Greek star missing after suffering a lower-back contusion in Sunday’s Game 1 defeat, Milwaukee delivered a balanced offensive effort to overwhelm Miami.

The Bucks led from early in the first quarter and never looked back, sprinting out of reach after outscoring their opponents 46-27 in the second quarter to lead by a whopping 81-55 at half-time.

Milwaukee kept up the scoring in the third quarter, extending their lead to 36 points at one stage to make victory a formality.

Brook Lopez led the way for the Bucks with 25 points while Jrue Holiday added 24 points, as seven Milwaukee players finished in double figures.

“All season long, guys have been in and out of the line-up, different guys have been stepping up and having those moments,” said the Bucks’ Bobby Portis, who finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

“Play-offs is all about moments, and we’ve got guys capable of having those moments. We’ve just got to keep it rolling.”

Milwaukee did severe damage from outside the arc, shooting an astounding 25-of-49 from three-point range to tie an NBA play-off record.

Jimmy Butler led Miami’s scorers with 25 points while Bam Adebayo finished with 18.

“I would like to be up 2-0, but that’s in the past now,” said Butler.

“So we’re taking it to the crib, and we’ve got to handle business on our home floor.” AFP