Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and nine rebounds to boost the Milwaukee Bucks host to a 112-109 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
The two-time NBA two-time best-placed player made 14 of 21 hits off the floor, though he sank just 1 of 10 attempts from the free throw line. Khw Middleton at Milwaukee climbed a pair of 3-point marks late in the fourth quarter to highlight his 25-point performance.
Jrue Holiday had 16 points and Brook Lopez added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who defeated a 12-for-25 effort at the false line to extend their winning streak to four games. Milwaukee also earned some revenge after being sacked by Dallas in the 2019-20 season two-game series.
Luka Doncic collected 28 points and 13 assists while Tim Hardaway Jr. 22 points to the Mavericks, who saw their four-game winning streak of the season stop.
Oklahoma City Thunder 127 – Chicago Bulls 125 (OT)
Shai-Gilgeous Alexander’s 33-point highs made a big impact on Oklahoma City in Chicago.
Timely shooting from Mike Muscala (11 points) and Luguentz Dort (21 points, six directions) helped the Thunder to steal a tight win.
The Bulls cost a game 35 points from Zach LaVine, who now averages 37.5 points per game in his last four – all losses.
Boston Celtics 124 – Orlando Magic 97
Jaylen Brown scored 21 points to lead Boston in a home victory over Orlando.
Semi Ojeleye played in with 18 points, while Jeff Teague 17, Payton Pritchard 16 and Marcus Smart 14 added for the Celtics, who have won seven of their eight games. Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams stayed out for Boston after testing positive for COVID-19. All three games recorded by the Celtics have been postponed due to the virus.
The Druids were led by Aaron Gordon with 17 points. Nikola Vucevic, Cole Anthony and Dwayne Brown all scored 15 points in the loss.
Cleveland Cavaliers 106 – New York Knicks 103
Andre Drummond put together a monster 33-point, 23-rebound performance to give Cleveland the lead over New York.
Cedi Osman had 25 points alongside Drummond and Larry Nance’s 14 points that helped the Cavaliers capture a three-game losing streak.
The Knicks cost a 28-point performance from Julius Randle, also receiving 23 points off the bench from rookie Immanuel Quickley and 20 points from RJ Barrett. The Knicks have now lost five straight.
Utah Jazz 116 – Atlanta Hawks 92
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points in just 27 minutes to lead Utah to an easy victory over a visit to Atlanta.
The Jazz scored 17 points from Bojan Bogdanovic and a 15-point, 13-rebound-double goal from Rudy Gobert in the win. This was Utah’s fourth straight win.
Cam Reddish scored 20 points to lead the Hawks which saw Trae Young score just four points on 1 of 11 shots.
Los Angeles Clippers 138 – Sacramento Kings 100
Kawhi Leonard poured in 27 points to easily win Los Angeles at Sacramento.
Paul George played in with 26 points, and Marcus Morris put 18 off the bench for the Clippers, who won their third straight.
The Kings led by 20 points at Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes ’17.
Los Angeles Lakers 112 – New Orleans Pelicans 95
LeBron James scored 21 points and scored 11 assists in leading Los Angeles to the goal of New Orleans goals.
Anthony Davis added 17 points, while Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined 16 for the climbing Lakers, who won their fifth straight game.
The Pelicans were happy to get Zion Williamson back from health and safety protocols, as he led the team with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort.
–Field Media Level