Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks rallied for an 118-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
The Bucks bounced back from losses to the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics for their eighth win in 10 games and improved to 10-3 since dropping eight of their first 10, including a 13-point loss at Brooklyn on Oct. 27.
Antetokounmpo shot 14-of-22 and grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with four assists and three blocks.
Bobby Portis added 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, including an open 3 from the left side that followed a steal by Andre Jackson Jr. and gave the Bucks a 109-108 lead with 2:08 left. The reserve forward made 9 of 10 shots and was a perfect 5-of-5 from behind the arc, and he added a block of Dennis Schroder that set up Antetokounmpo’s dunk with 1:09 left.
Gary Trent Jr. contributed 20 as the Bucks shot 57.4 percent and hit 15 3s. Damian Lillard chipped 15 points and 11 assists while Khris Middleton finished with 11 points in his second game back from an ankle injury.
Schroder scored a season-high 34 and added 11 assists but the Nets lost for the fourth time in five games. Cameron Johnson added 26 points and Nic Claxton contributed a season-high 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Nets shot 50.6 percent but blew a 12-point lead late in the third.
Antetokounmpo scored 11 as the Bucks shot nearly 53 percent and held a 27-25 lead through the opening quarter. Schroder capped his 19-point opening half with a short jumper right before the buzzer to give the Nets a 52-51 lead by halftime.
Claxton converted a three-point play and a baseline dunk on consecutive trips to give the Nets a 63-58 lead with 8:26 left. Johnson scored six straight Brooklyn points, and his transition layup gave the Nets a 74-66 lead with about 5 1/2 minutes left.
Two free throws by Day’Ron Sharpe put Brooklyn ahead 83-71, but Milwaukee outscored the Nets 15-3 over the final 3:17 to forge an 86-86 tie into the fourth.
The Nets held a 98-93 lead when Antetokounmpo returned with 8:02 left and a 106-101 lead after Johnson’s 3 with 3:47 left.
–Field Level Media