The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 115-108 on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum, bouncing back from a difficult defeat in Boston. After missing two games, Giannis Antetokounmpo returned and scored 21 points. The Bucks also managed to win with double-figure contributions from Damian Lillard (30 points, 12 assists), Brook Lopez (17 points), Malik Beasley (16 points), and AJ Green (15 points).
The Bucks defeated the Nets (26-44) for their fifth straight defeat, raising their record to 45-25. This season, Milwaukee has defeated Brooklyn in all three meetings. Mikal Bridges scored 24 points to lead Brooklyn, followed by 22 from Nic Claxton and 21 from Cam Thomas. On Sunday at 6 p.m., Milwaukee will play host to Oklahoma City, one of the top two teams in the league.
Nets 108, Bucks 115 in the box scoreIn a crucial fourth quarter, Damian Lillard steals the victory for the Bucks. With less than four minutes remaining in the game, Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas was pounding the ball in an attempt to go one-on-one with Damian Lillard and break the 96-96 tie.
However, Lillard poked the ball away as Thomas attempted to move around him, starting a fast break that resulted in a three-point play for Antetokounmpo and a 99-96 Milwaukee lead. With 1:41 remaining, Lillard stole the ball from Dennis Smith Jr. and raced down the floor, giving the Bucks a 103-101 lead.
With 1:37 remaining, he then disheveled it to an open Beasley on the wing, who knocked down the three to give the team a 106-101 lead and some breathing room.
With 1:11 remaining, Lillard gave the dagger a pull-up 18-footer, and a few seconds later, he added a three-pointer to cap off his 13-point fourth quarter. Lillard’s offensive production was enhanced by his crucial defensive stops. When he scores 30 points or more, the Bucks advance to 17-2, and when he dishes out 10 assists or more, they move to 10-2. He had recorded 12 double-doubles so far this season.
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.After an injury, Giannis Antetokounmpo returns.
Antetokounmpo set the tone for the Bucks when he returned to the starting lineup following a two-game absence due to tendinopathy in his left hamstring. He led the Bucks to a 26-19 advantage in the first quarter with nine points.
At times, Antetokounmpo appeared as though he hadn’t practiced in a week or so. He finished with 21 points on 9 of 19 shots and 2 of 4 free throws. In addition to his five assists, he grabbed nine rebounds.
Antetokounmpo played in 65 games, including 35 minutes against the Nets, and earned eligibility for postseason honors including defensive player of the year, most valuable player, and all-NBA and all-defense teams.
The league established a 20-minute threshold in addition to a new minimum game requirement before to the season for such awards.
The 29-year-old Antetokounmpo has only missed three games in his previous 67 games before missing games on March 17 against Phoenix and Wednesday against Boston.
Antetokounmpo stated that he played the next two games in Sacramento (March 12) and against Philadelphia (March 14), but that he initially felt the hamstring when the Bucks played the Clippers in Los Angeles on March 10. Before the Suns game, he warmed up, then turned it off and left the arena.
Doc Rivers, the head coach, stated that Antetokounmpo worked out lightly on the floor at the Sports Science Center on Wednesday even though he did not go to Boston.