UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have followed a five-game skid with a five-game winning streak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 36 points and the Bucks closed on a 9-0 run to beat the Clippers, 105-100. The reigning MVP put Milwaukee ahead with a pair of free throws and added a dunk that caused Clippers coach Ty Lue to call timeout.
Middleton added 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who won for the first time in 11 games this season when trailing after three quarters.
Kawhi Leonard had a team-high 25 points, including a jumper that put Los Angeles ahead, 100-96 with 4:01 to play.
Also on the NBA schedule:
— LeBron James scored 19 points in his 1,300th regular-season appearance as the Lakers routed the Warriors 117-91. Markieff Morris and Alex Caruso each had 13 points, while Dennis Schroder and Kyle Kuzma had 12 as Los Angeles won its second straight since dropping five of their first six games without All-Star Anthony Davis.
— Devin Booker scored 21 of his season-high 43 points in the third quarter to carry Phoenix to its 14th win in 17 games, 118-99 over the Timberwolves. DeAndre Ayton added 22 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix, which is tied for third in the West with the Clippers.
— Jayson Tatum hit a pair of driving baskets in the final 15 seconds to help the Celtics escape with a 111-110 triumph over the Wizards. Tatum finished with 31 points and Kemba Walker had 21 for the Celts, who have their first winning streak since late January after withstanding Bradley Beal’s 46-point performance.
— The Heat climbed to .500 and extended their season-high winning streak to six games by downing the Hawks, 109-99. Kendrick Nunn delivered 24 points and Bam Adebayo added 16 with 13 rebounds as Miami won for the 10th time in 13 games since a 7-14 start.
— The Knicks moved over .500 at 18-17 by winning for the seventh time in nine games, a 109-90 rout of the Pistons. Julius Randle scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half as New York moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. It’s the first time the Knicks have been above .500 this late in a season since 2012-13.
— Justise Winslow scored 20 points as the Grizzlies sent the Rockets to their 11th consecutive loss, 133-94. Brandon Clarke added 16 points for Memphis, which held the Rockets to 4-for-45 from 3-point range.
— PJ Washington scored a career-high 42 points and the Hornets closed on a 12-3 run to send the Kings to their 10th loss in 11 games, 128-127 at Sacramento. Malik Monk furnished 21 points, including a three-point play with 1.4 seconds remaining.
— Sunday’s game between the Raptors and Bulls was postponed due to COVID-19 issues with Toronto. The league said the Raptors are dealing with positive test results along with ongoing contact tracing issues. Toronto played Friday without starting forward Pascal Siakam, head coach Nick Nurse and several other assistants and staffers because of virus-related issues.
