Giannis Antetokounmpo had a season-high 47 points on 18-of-23 shooting and Khris Middleton made his way into the team history book as the Milwaukee Bucks earned a 109-102 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night to kick off their five-game homestand.
Antetokounmpo had 28 first-half points on 12-of-13 shooting and also finished with nine rebounds to lead the Bucks to their first win at home since their season opener on Oct. 19. Bobby Portis added 17 points and five rebounds in his sixth consecutive start, and Pat Connaughton chipped in 16 points off the bench.
Middleton made his return after missing the last eight games due to COVID-19 protocols and tied Ray Allen atop the Bucks’ all-time 3-pointers list as part of a 16-point effort.
Talen Horton-Tucker paced Los Angeles with 25 points after dropping a career-high 28 against the Bulls on Monday. Russell Westbrook added 19 points and 15 assists for Los Angeles, which was again without LeBron James (abdominal strain).
Suns 105, Mavericks 98
Jae Crowder broke a tie by sinking two free throws with 2:34 remaining as host Phoenix outfinished Luka Doncic-less Dallas.
The Suns earned their 10th consecutive win while Dallas lost for just the second time in seven games. Doncic was scratched from the lineup during the day when the Mavericks made a decision to give his sore left knee and ankle some time to heal.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 24 points, and Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Dallas got 22 points from Tim Hardaway Jr. and 21 from Kristaps Porzingis.
Heat 113, Pelicans 98
Jimmy Butler, returning from a three-game absence, posted a triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Miami rallied to defeat visiting New Orleans.
Butler, who had been out due to a sprained right ankle, had game-highs with his totals for points, rebounds and assists.
New Orleans, which lost for the 14th time in 16 games, was led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had 24 points. Brandon Ingram added 19 points, and Josh Hart had 18 points.
Hawks 110, Celtics 99
Kevin Huerter hit the first five shots he took and scored all of his 19 points in the first half to lead Atlanta to a win over visiting Boston.
Huerter was listed as questionable after leaving Atlanta’s Monday game early due to hamstring tightness. However, he was in the starting lineup and helped the Hawks win their third consecutive game. Atlanta’s John Collins had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and reserve Cam Reddish added 19 points.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum made five 3-pointers and scored 34 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists. Grant Williams added 18 points, Dennis Schroder scored 15 and former Hawk Al Horford had 13 points and seven rebounds.
Timberwolves 107, Kings 97
Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and host Minnesota held on for a win over Sacramento.
D’Angelo Russell had 17 points and seven assists for Minnesota, which snapped a six-game home losing streak. Patrick Beverley contributed 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 28 points on 10-for-20 shooting. Buddy Hield chipped in 16 points off the bench, and Harrison Barnes finished with 13 points.
Hornets 97, Wizards 87
Terry Rozier had another strong late-game stretch and finished with 19 points as Charlotte topped visiting Washington for its fourth straight victory.
Miles Bridges racked up 17 points and 10 rebounds, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14 points, LaMelo Ball turned in 11 points and 14 assists, Mason Plumlee supplied 11 points and 13 rebounds and Jalen McDaniels posted 11 points for Charlotte.
The Wizards struggled from the perimeter, hitting just eight of 42 attempts from 3-point range. Bradley Beal made five 3s on his way to 24 points. Daniel Gafford’s 20 points and reserve Montrezl Harrell’s 15 points and nine rebounds also boosted the Wizards, who shot 36.7 percent from the field.
Pistons 97, Pacers 89
Jerami Grant had 19 points and reserve Cory Joseph supplied a season-high 18 as host Detroit downed Indiana.
Cade Cunningham had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Saddiq Bey contributed 15 points and six rebounds for Detroit. Frank Jackson added 11 points off the bench.
Malcolm Brogdon topped Indiana with 20 points. Caris LeVert added 18 points, while Domantas Sabonis tossed in 15 points with 11 rebounds. Torrey Craig had 10 points off the bench.
Nets 109, Cavaliers 99
James Harden recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lift host Brooklyn.
Harden made all 12 of his foul shots and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to fuel the Nets to their ninth win in their last 11 games.
Kevin Durant scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half after finishing with a season-low 19 points in Brooklyn’s 117-99 setback to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
Trail Blazers 112, Bulls 107
Damian Lillard registered 22 points and 10 assists and Portland overcame a 20-point deficit to notch a victory over visiting Chicago.
Jusuf Nurkic recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds and Norman Powell also scored 18 points as Portland improved to 7-1 at home. Larry Nance Jr. added 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench, and Robert Covington tallied 10 points for the Trail Blazers.
Zach LaVine made seven 3-point baskets while scoring 30 points for the Bulls, who fell to 2-2 on a five-game road trip. DeMar DeRozan added 22 points, Lonzo Ball scored 17 points and Alex Caruso had 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for Chicago.
Thunder 101, Rockets 89
Luguentz Dort scored season-high 34 points to lead Oklahoma City to a win over visiting Houston.
The Rockets saw their losing streak reach 13 games. Their only win of the season came over the Thunder in the second game, on Oct. 22 in Houston. Jalen Green led the Rockets with 21 points while Tate scored 16. Eric Gordon had 15 points, and Christian Wood added 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 15 points but was just 6 of 18 from the floor and 1 of 8 from long distance. Josh Giddey added 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
Magic 104, Knicks 98
Terrence Ross scored 19 points to lead six players in double figures and Orlando recorded its second win at Madison Square Garden this season, beating host New York.
Franz Wagner had 16 points and nine rebounds for Orlando, which defeated the Knicks 110-104 at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 24. Two of the Magic’s four wins this season have come against New York. Cole Anthony had 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help Orlando snap a three-game losing streak.
RJ Barrett had 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Knicks. Alec Burks scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Obi Toppin tied his career high with 14 points.
–Field Level Media
