Brooklyn did much of its damage from the arc, connecting on 19-of-39 3-pointers. Crabbe sank five treys and scored 25 points, while D'Angelo Russell bagged 22 points and five assists, adding four 3-pointers.
Joe Harris contributed 17, reserve Caris LeVert hit for 13 and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson chipped in 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Khris Middleton pumped in a game-high 31 points for the Bucks, while Eric Bledsoe added 18. Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, although he made only 7-of-21 shots. Jabari Parker came off the bench to score 13 points and John Henson netted 12.
Tied at 105, Brooklyn took the lead for good when Crabbe drilled a three with 2:43 left. Two possessions later, Crabbe canned another three for a 111-105 margin with 1:18 remaining, and the Nets protected their lead by going 8-for-8 at the foul line in the final 33.3 seconds.
Brooklyn controlled most of the first half against a team that clinched its Eastern Conference playoff spot Wednesday night with Detroit's home loss to Philadelphia.
The Nets established a 12-5 lead less than four minutes into the game on a running hook by Allen Crabbe and took a 30-24 advantage to the second quarter when Hollis-Jefferson made two foul shots with 33.9 seconds left.
Milwaukee surged to start the second and grabbed a brief 36-35 edge, but Brooklyn went on a 17-7 run, upping its lead to nine on a Quincy Acy 3-pointer with 1:21 remaining in the half. Bledsoe's jumper in the last 30 seconds left the Nets with a 52-45 halftime lead.
The Bucks made their move in the third quarter, wiping out a 10-point deficit and taking a 75-71 advantage when Bledsoe drained a 3-ball with 2:23 left. Brooklyn rallied, however, and earned an 83-81 edge going to the fourth quarter.
--Field Level Media
Brooklyn | Milwaukee | |
Allen Crabbe 25 | Scoring | Khris Middleton 31 |
Spencer Dinwiddie 6 | Assists | Giannis Antetokounmpo 7 |
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 11 | Rebounds | Giannis Antetokounmpo 10 |
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 8 | Free Throws Made | Khris Middleton 11 |
Quincy Acy 1 | Steals | Giannis Antetokounmpo 4 |
Jarrett Allen 5 | Blocks | Giannis Antetokounmpo 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Brooklyn | 119 | 54.7 | 19-39 | 18-21 | 30 | 41 | 12 | 3 | 20 |
Milwaukee | 111 | 44.1 | 5-20 | 24-30 | 21 | 41 | 2 | 12 | 8 |