CJ McCollum delivered in the final minute, lifting the Washington Wizards to a 129-126 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night at Capital One Arena.
McCollum finished with 28 points and hit the decisive 3-pointer with 14.4 seconds left, capping a tight fourth quarter in which Washington overcame a late surge from Milwaukee.
The victory marked the Wizards’ (3-16) second in three games after a 14-game skid, giving the struggling group a rare stretch of momentum against a Bucks team that split back-to-back matchups with two of the league’s worst records.
Washington leaned on balanced scoring, with Marvin Bagley III producing 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting and Khris Middleton adding 15, including a game-tying 3-pointer that evened the score at 115 late in the fourth.
Milwaukee (9-13) briefly took control behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, who converted a three-point play with 3:36 remaining and finished an alley-oop dunk on the next possession to push the margin to five. Antetokounmpo ended the night with 26 points but shot 6-of-11 from the line, including a first-half violation for exceeding the free-throw time limit.
Washington answered with a 10-3 run. Middleton drilled a right-wing three to give the Wizards a 124-122 lead with 52.2 seconds left, setting up a tense final sequence.
Antetokounmpo split a pair of free throws with 39.3 seconds remaining, and the Wizards relied on McCollum to settle the possession. The veteran guard created separation late in the shot clock and buried a step-back three to extend the advantage to four.
Bilal Coulibaly delivered the final blow, stealing the ball in the backcourt and dunking with 5.4 seconds left while also drawing Antetokounmpo’s sixth foul. Coulibaly finished with seven points, five rebounds and three steals.
The Bucks had strong production from Kevin Porter Jr., who scored 30 points in his second game back from knee surgery. Porter, limited to just three appearances this season due to a sprained ankle and a meniscus tear, shot 12-for-15 and knocked down five threes.
Milwaukee appeared in control early, building an 81-65 lead in the third, but Washington responded with a 17-0 run to tie the game by the end of the period. The Wizards shot 52% from the field and outscored the Bucks 38-32 in the final quarter.
Washington also received meaningful bench minutes from Tristan Vukcevic, Cam Whitmore and Justin Champagnie, who combined for 43 points and helped stabilize the rotation.
The Bucks continued to struggle defending the perimeter, allowing 13 threes and losing the rebounding battle 41-35.
Up next, Milwaukee returns home to face Detroit on Wednesday, while Washington travels to Philadelphia for a quick turnaround on Tuesday.
