Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Damian Lillard added 24 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks sent the visiting Orlando Magic to a fourth consecutive loss in a 118-114 decision on Thursday.
Milwaukee, a winner now of six straight, used a 21-8 third-quarter run to open a 15-point lead, then held the Magic at bay the rest of the game.
Orlando rallied to pull within two points in the fourth quarter, opening the final period on a 9-2 during which Franz Wagner scored seven of his team-high 29 points.
The Bucks answered by holding the Magic without a point for the ensuing 2:06, and to just two points for more than four minutes. Milwaukee pushed its advantage back to double-digits and Orlando could come no closer than within four points until the final horn.
Antetokounmpo scored seven of his game-high point total in the closing 3:12, five of which came on 5-of-6 shooting at the free-throw line. He finished the contest shooting 15-for-19 from the charity stripe and 11-for-25 from the floor.
Lillard went 10-for-10 at the free-throw line to contributor to Milwaukee’s 31-of-35 foul-shooting night as a team and he knocked down 4 of 8 on 3-point attempts. He also dished out a game-high eight assists.
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The only other Bucks players to finish in double figures with 14 points apiece were Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. Milwaukee completed a perfect six-game homestand with the victory, which included eight points apiece from Malik Beasley and Pat Connaughton.
For Orlando, Paolo Banchero scored 23 points, and Moritz Wagner contributed 21 points and eight rebounds after coming off the bench. In a reserve role, Cole Anthony scored 18 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and provided six assists.
Orlando’s road losing streak now stands at five games after this setback. The team’s previous road victory came against Indiana on November 19, when they were on a nine-game winning streak. With Thursday’s defeat, the Magic are now just 2-6 since their previous victory over that span on December 1.