Kings are stunned by a deep buzzer-beater from Damian Lillard.

On Sunday night, Damian Lillard came through with a game-winning 32-foot pullup jumper at the buzzer to give the Bucks a 143-142 victory over Sacramento.

Following a back-and-forth game in which Milwaukee lost a 12-point fourth-quarter lead before rallying in overtime, Lillard’s first game-winning buzzer-beater since joining the Bucks in the offseason concluded the contest.
It was also Lillard’s 2,500th career 3-pointer, capping a 29-point performance.

Milwaukee was playing catch up the whole overtime period after watching their advantage in the fourth quarter disappear. They were behind by six points at the beginning of the extra period. With 1:18 remaining, Lillard contributed a 3-pointer and three free throws to give Milwaukee a 137-136 edge. But that advantage would not last long, as with 5.2 seconds remaining, De’Aaron Fox was fouled, giving the Kings a one-point advantage. Fox, who finished with a team-high 32 points, would miss the opening free throw, his first of the game, but he would make the second one. With no timeouts, the moment was ripe for Lillard’s heroics.

With Fox trailing behind, Lillard inbounded the ball to Brook Lopez, who returned it to the point guard at full speed as they headed up court. Domantas Sabonis attempted assistance, but he moved too slowly. After taking four left-handed dribbles, Lillard crossed halfcourt, pulled up just past the logo, faded to his left, and made the almost wide-open 3-pointer.

In what other way would Lillard commemorate his inaugural buzzer-beater victory with the Bucks? As the crowd went wild, Lillard displayed his trademark “Dame Time” celebration by tapping his left wrist, and his teammates surrounded him close to halfcourt in an exuberant hysteria. In case the fans missed it (or wanted more), Lillard evaded the mob and took his time, parading around the court repeatedly tapping that left wrist as if to remind the fans what he offers to the Bucks. When Lillard was interviewed after the game, Malik Beasley showered him with water—a refreshing shower for the hero.

Lillard beat the buzzer simply in a different way. The shot wasn’t very challenging, but it did end a back-and-forth fight with multiple significant swings. For Bucks supporters, it will always be special since it was Lillard’s first game in Milwaukee and it happened on the same day that the NFL’s Green Bay Packers defeated Dallas in the playoffs. Dame It’s officially time.