NBA Thriller: Donovan Mitchell sinks baseline jumper with 0.3 seconds left as undefeated Cavaliers edge Bucks 114-113
Mitchell scores 30 points to overcome Damian Lillard's 41-point clinic and keep Cleveland perfect at 7-0.
A heavyweight duel decided at the final horn
The Fiserv Forum was treated to an instant regular-season classic on Monday night, 2 November, as Donovan Mitchell hit a cold-blooded baseline jumper over Gary Trent Jr. with just 0.3 seconds left to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a dramatic 114-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The triumph extended Cleveland’s season-opening winning streak to 7-0 under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, matching the franchise’s best start since 1976.
The contest was an electric duel of superstar shotmaking. Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard delivered his most lethal scoring exhibition of the season, erupting for 41 points on 10-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc. Alongside him, Giannis Antetokounmpo was an unstoppable force in the paint, posting 34 points, 16 rebounds, and 9 assists on 15-of-27 shooting.
When Lillard drilled a contested step-back jumper from the right wing with 9.8 seconds remaining to give Milwaukee a 113-112 lead, the home crowd erupted believing the Bucks had finally snapped their early-season slump. But Atkinson declined to call a timeout, trusting Mitchell to create in space against a scrambling defense.
Mitchell delivers the ultimate road dagger
Mitchell received the inbound pass, drove hard toward the right corner, stopped on a dime, and elevated backward over Trent’s outstretched contest. The high-arcing mid-range jumper cleanly found the bottom of the cylinder with three-tenths of a second showing on the clock, leaving the Bucks with no timeouts and zero chance of a response.
Mitchell finished with 30 points, 4 assists, and 4 three-pointers, leading six Cavaliers in double figures. Darius Garland chipped in 11 points and 10 assists, while Jarrett Allen added 15 points and 12 boards to anchor Cleveland’s defensive presence against Antetokounmpo down the stretch.
With the victory, Cleveland stands tall as the only remaining undefeated team in the Eastern Conference at 7-0, while Milwaukee falls to a concerning 1-4 start, intensifying scrutiny on Doc Rivers’ defense ahead of their upcoming road trip.
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