MILWAUKEE — Khris Middleton’s 3-pointer at the buzzer capped off a furious comeback for the Milwaukee Bucks, who stopped a six-game losing streak with an 89-88 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The Bucks struggled for much of the night but came to life in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee (35-36) erased the last portion of a 14-point deficit when center Zaza Pachuila’s layup made it an 85-85 game with 1:09 to play.
Guard Dwyane Wade put the Heat back in front on a layup with 1:02 left but missed the second of two free throws with 17 seconds to play. Milwaukee came up empty on its next possession, but Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova drew a foul on Henry Walker.
Ilyasova also missed the second of his two free throws, but Heat forward Michael Beasley got tangled up with Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless on the rebound, setting up a jump ball with 10.4 seconds left.
Bayless won the tip but missed a layup. Pachulia saved the rebound from going out of bounds and whipped it to Middleton, and the shooting guard stepped up and nailed a 28-footer for the victory.
Middleton finished with 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, including 2-for-8 from 3-point range. Ilyasova finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, forward Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points and 10 boards, and Pachulia contributed 14 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Bayless scored 10 points.
The Bucks won despite shooting just 41.4 percent for the game and committing 21 turnovers.
Wade scored 21 to lead Miami, which also got 16 from guard Goran Dragic, 14 from guard Mario Chalmers and 13 from forward Luol Deng. The Heat (32-38) knocked down eight of 19 3-point attempts and shot 44 percent from the field but lost for the second consecutive game.
NOTES: Milwaukee’s 16.94 forced turnovers per game ranked second in the NBA this season entering play Tuesday. The Bucks’ 16.76 turnovers committed per game represented the second-worst mark in the league. … Miami G Dwyane Wade began the night averaging seven points (on 48.6 percent shooting) in the fourth quarter this season, putting him second in the NBA. … The Bucks were looking to sweep Miami for just the second time in franchise history and the first time since the 1990-91 season. … Miami G Goran Dragic and Wade were shooting a combined 49.3 percent from the field this season, making them the best-shooting starting backcourt in the NBA. … Milwaukee’s bench was averaging nearly 42.3 points per game at the All-Star break, but in the next 17 games, the Bucks’ reserves combined for just 25.4 points per game, good for 29th in the league.