Antetokounmpo had 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists and reached double figures in all three categories by the end of the third quarter. That wasn’t enough for Milwaukee, which came into the night with a 2 1/2-game lead over Cleveland for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Corey Kispert scored 27 points and Deni Avdija added 23 to help the Washington Wizards beat the Milwaukee Bucks 117-113 on Tuesday night despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s triple-double.
Jordan Poole had 16 points and a career-high 13 assists for Washington, and Jared Butler provided a lift off the bench with 17 points. Tristan Vukcevic, a 7-foot rookie from Serbia whom the Wizards signed in the middle of last month, scored 14. His previous career high was six.
In a classic of the outlier shooting genre, both teams would struggle from the three-point line, although early on each traded decent blows with Bucks subs Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and Danilo Gallinari (with another three) hitting a few late baskets to give Milwaukee a slight 28-27 lead.
The subs then got the second off to a rocky start with fouls and turnovers before Milwaukee went on a three minute long stretch not making a single basket while Washington eked out a slight lead. It’d sit 54-56, Washington at the half.
Washington led 58-54 at halftime, then began the third quarter on a 12-1 run to stretch the lead to 15. Milwaukee shot 11 of 48 from 3-point range on the night, but the Bucks finally made a few near the end of the third, including Jae Crowder’s shot at the buzzer that cut the lead to five.
Isolation ball wasn’t working in Milwaukee’s favor, and the threes they were hunting just never fell. A 14 point Wizards lead didn’t necessarily put things out of reach, but it made MIlwaukee’s job coming back that much harder.
.
It was down to two in the fourth, but Washington was able to hold on. A 3-pointer by Kispert made it 113-106, and with Milwaukee down by four in the final minute, Antetokounmpo lost the ball inside.
Bucks would reel things back in late, The Bucks got it back and called timeout with 21.9 seconds remaining. Bad execution on the final open play possession that could’ve brought the game into the balance saw Giannis Antetokounmpo stripped by Jordan Poole before free throws (and an uncovered Anthony Gill transition layup) sealing the loss, 113-117.
Khris Middleton made a layup, but Anthony Gill got free behind Milwaukee’s press for a layup with 8.3 seconds to play that pushed the lead back to four.
Milwaukee was playing without star guard Damian Lillard (right groin strain), and Kyle Kuzma (right heel contusion) was out for the Wizards. Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Lillard could be back as early as Wednesday night.
The Bucks lost Patrick Beverley in the third quarter after Poole slipped while driving to the basket and fell into Beverley’s left leg. Both players were shaken up, although Poole was able to play on