NBA: Antetokounmpo frustrates Heat, Pistons get Cunningham back

The Miami Heat surged to a home victory, but a monumental performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to rally and clinch a 121-115 overtime win.

With another triple-double, the Greek power forward followed up Thursday’s dominant 35-point, 17-rebound, 20-assist performance in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On Saturday, he posted another massive stat line with 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.

With Damian Lillard out indefinitely due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken the reins, shouldering the Bucks through the adversity, AFP reported.

The Milwaukee Bucks, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 43–34 record, clinched their ninth consecutive playoff berth on Saturday. They remain in the hunt to overtake the Indiana Pacers (46–31) for fourth place and secure home-court advantage in the opening round. The Miami Heat, on the other hand, sit in tenth and will have to fight for a postseason spot through the Play-In Tournament, set for April 15–18.

Miami held a seven-point lead (107–100) with just three minutes remaining, but the Bucks responded with a swift 9–2 run to tie the game with 50 seconds left. Antetokounmpo had a chance to seal the win in regulation, but tightly defended by Bam Adebayo, he rushed a deep shot on Milwaukee’s final possession, sending the game into overtime.

Milwaukee stayed composed in overtime, sealing the win with a series of clutch buckets from Kevin Porter Jr., who came off the bench to score 24 points.

Cunningham returns for Detroit, Timberwolves keep rolling with another win 

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies both secured road wins to keep their battle alive for sixth place in the Western Conference—the final spot that grants direct entry to the playoffs.

Although both teams share a 46–32 record, the Grizzlies currently hold the sixth seed thanks to a 109–103 win over the Detroit Pistons—earned despite the absence of their star, Ja Morant.

Guard Desmond Bane dominated offensively with 38 points, while rookie center Zach Edey made a major impact in the court, recording six points and grabbing 21 rebounds—the most by a Grizzlies rookie in franchise history.

For the Pistons, who secured their first playoff berth since 2019 on Friday, Cade Cunningham made his return after missing six games due to a calf injury. The All-Star point guard finished with 25 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes of action.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 114-109, thanks to a late surge from Anthony Edwards, who scored 18 of his 37 points in a frenetic final quarter. Minnesota avoided an upset against a struggling Sixers team, which has now dropped 11 straight, and extended their winning streak to five games.

In another Saturday matchup, the New York Knicks secured a 121-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, led by Dominican-American Karl-Anthony Towns, who posted 30 points and 11 rebounds.

In the day's final game, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 135-104, with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard each scoring 29 points. Anthony Davis added 27 points for the Mavericks in the loss.