The Milwaukee Bucks edged out the Charlotte Hornets 127-125 at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday, achieving their eighth straight win and rising to third place in the Eastern Conference.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 40 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks. He also made the game-winning layup for the home team, with only two seconds on the clock before the end of the game.

Bucks fans gasped in horror when Miles Bridges' last-ditch attempt to equalize with a logo shot almost dropped into the net, spinning out of the basket, just moments before time.

"I haven't seen the play, but I knew in the position I was in; there [were] two different routes," Antetokounmpo said of his last play. "Float it up or try to sneak it in, and when you try to sneak it in, you've got to spin on. If you just go normal, most likely you're going to get it blocked."

The "Greek Freak" has averaged 27 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks, making a visible presence in the MVP competition, which he won twice in 2019 and 2020.

The other two of the team's Big Three, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, had a combination of 32 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. The Bucks have won all of the 10 games in which the trio played.

Thursday's win also made a good start for DeMarcus Cousins, who signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal to join the team this week. He received over 14 minutes on the floor in his debut, getting seven points and four rebounds while shooting at 1-2 from downtown. The Bucks can't replace Brook Lopez with him, but coach Mike Budenholzer's defensive system requires a full-sized center to fill in the paint and protect the rim.

By contrast, the Hornets carried on with their small-ball squad since Mason Plumlee has not recovered from a right calf strain. Though they had no one to match Antetokounmpo in size, power or athleticism, the Hornets' five-out shooting lineup was the last thing the Bucks' defense wanted to face.

The Hornets went 10-17 behind the arc in the first quarter, giving the Bucks a head-on blow. The home team spent most of the game trying to catch up, though their opponents kept growing cold in each of the following three quarters.

LaMelo Ball was nothing but astonishing, draining eight triples and putting down 36 points, five rebounds, nine assists and three steals. It's that fadeaway 3-pointer he made in the last seconds that forced Antetokounmpo to complete that smart game-winning layup.

"He's grown all year. He's a fantastic player; we're lucky to have him; we're fortunate to have him," Hornets head coach James Borrego said of Ball. "His fearlessness and his composure is fantastic" against the NBA champions. 

"He's a great player. He's only getting better. This [is] just the tip of the iceberg. The kid's got a bright, bright future," Borrego said.

Mavericks reach franchise record FG rate to win

The Dallas Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 139-107 at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday, putting an end to their two-game losing streak.

Luka Doncic was dominant from the beginning to shoot at 7-8 field goals (FGs) to score 18 points and six assists. It took him less than three quarters to get 28 points, four rebounds and 14 assists, putting the Mavericks on a 27-point lead (102-75) before Q4.

Kristaps Porzingis, though he missed five out of six attempts at the 3-point line, was 6-6 under the rim and had a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds plus two blocks.

The Mavericks, as a whole, went 57-83 in FGs, setting a new franchise record of 68.7 percent to win on the road. Their 2-point FG rate of 79.6 percent (39-49) was also a new team record and made the third-best in NBA history since the shooting clock was introduced.

"Luka was phenomenal tonight," Porzingis said. "He started off the game hot himself, and then he was sharing the ball. Our energy was there right from the beginning because we shared it. It was a chain reaction, starting from him, and we got great looks."

On the Pelicans side, Brandon Ingram had an excellent individual performance shooting 11-17 in FGs and 3-5 in threes to get 29 points. But when his teammates missed 43 of their shots (29-72), it became mission impossible to make any difference.

Other games on Wednesday (away teams come first):

Atlanta Hawks 114-111 Indiana Pacers

Denver Nuggets 103-108 Orlando Magic

Minnesota Timberwolves 107-115 Washington Wizards

Cleveland Cavaliers 111-85 Miami Heat

Houston Rockets 114-110 Oklahoma City Thunder

Sacramento Kings 124-115 Los Angeles Clippers