UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are now 3-2 since Giannis Antetokounmpo was placed in the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols.
The Bucks had three players score over 20 points in a 102-95 victory at Dallas. Khris Middleton provided 26 points, Jrue Holiday had 24 and DeMarcus Cousins had a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds. Middleton was 8 of 14 from the field, made all eight free throws and had seven assists in his second game back for Milwaukee after missing three with a left knee injury.
The Mavericks also were without their top player as Luka Doncic remains in protocols. Jalen Brunson scored 19 points starting in place of Doncic.
Checking out Thursday’s other NBA action:
— Devin Booker poured in 30 points and Cam Johnson added 21 while nailing all five of his 3-point attempts in the Suns’ fifth consecutive win, 113-101 against the Thunder. Booker splashed home a long 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer, part of a 25-9 run that allowed Phoenix to take control. Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Chris Paul added 16 points and seven assists for the NBA’s top team.
— The Warriors pulled out a 113-104 win over the Grizzlies as Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made eight 3-pointers. Gary Payton Jr. added a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and finished with 22 points. Ja Morant had 21 points for Memphis, which had won its previous six road games.
— Donovan Mitchell dropped in 28 points and the Jazz claimed their 10th win in 12 games by outscoring the Timberwolves, 128-116. Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points and Mike Conley scored 17 points for Utah. Minnesota’s Malik Beasley scored a season-high 33 points and D’Angelo Russell had 19 and matched a career high with 14 assists.
— Tyler Herro scored 29 points and Max Strus finished with 26 as the Heat topped the short-handed Pistons, 115-112. The game was tied at 112 until Strus hit his fifth 3-pointer of the game, putting Miami ahead with 40 seconds left. Kyle Lowry finished with 21 points and Gabe Vincent had 15 points for the Heat.
— Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points in the Spurs’ 138-110 pounding of the Lakers. Derrick White had 23 points and Lonnie Walker added 21 in the third victory in four games for the Spurs, who hit 18 3-pointers. LeBron James had 36 points and nine rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 30 points in the Lakers’ fourth consecutive loss.
— P.J. Washington hit three big 3-pointers down the stretch while the Hornets were turning a 19-point deficit into a 115-107 win over the Nuggets. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter of the comeback. The comeback overshadowed a big night from reigning NVP Nikola Jokic, who had 29 points and 21 rebounds.
— Bogdan Bogdanovic hit several clutch shots down the stretch and finished with 15 points as the Hawks tripped the 76ers, 98-96. Bogdanovic missed his first 10 shots before getting hot in the fourth quarter, hitting three straight to put Atlanta ahead by six with 1:25 remaining. Cam Reddish scored 18 points and John Collins had 17 for the Hawks, who played without seven players because of health and safety protocols and lost two more during the game to injury.
— The Knicks wasted Kemba Walker’s 44-point performance in a 124-117 loss to the Wizards. Spencer Dinwiddie had 21 points and 12 assists for Washington, which played hours after All-Star guard Bradley Beal was placed in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Rookie Corey Kispert filled in with a career-high 20 points in his first start.
— Myles Turner and Caris LeVert each had double-doubles in the Pacers’ 118-106 win over the Rockets. Turner made 14 of 18 shots as the Pacers hit 52.8% from the field. He finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while LeVert contributed 24 points and 11 assists.
— The Pelicans have a four-game winning streak after Brandon Ingram delivered 31 points and Josh Hart hit a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half of a 110-104 victory at Orlando. Hart scored 22 points and Devonte Graham added five 3-pointers to finish with 20 points. Cole Anthony returned after missing three games with a sprained ankle to score 22 points for Orlando.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have enough players to fly to Los Angeles and play their Christmas showdown against the Lakers, though Kevin Durant might not be among them.
Coach Steve Nash says James Harden has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols but the Nets don’t expect any of their players still in the protocols to come out in time for Saturday’s game. That would include Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer. The Nets have had their last three scheduled games postponed when a coronavirus outbreak left them with 10 players in protocols.
Meanwhile, a person with direct knowledge of the matter says the NBA and players union are discussing whether to change the current protocols about returning to play after a positive test. That’s typically taken 10 days or more in most cases.
In other NBA news:
— The Chicago Bulls have used the NBA’s COVID-19-related hardship allowance to sign forward Ersan Ilyasova and guard Mac McClung to 10-day contracts. The Bulls had two games postponed this month because of a COVID-19 outbreak with the team. The 6-foot-9 Ilyasova appeared in 17 games with Utah last season, averaging 3.8 points. McClung, who turns 23 on Jan. 6, is looking for his NBA debut.
— The NBA’s Board of Governors has approved a plan where teams may now add sponsorship patches to their shooting shirts and warmup jackets. It’s similar to the jersey patch program, which has been in place since 2017. Teams are now permitted to add a patch — a 3-inch square — on either the right sleeve or left chest of the shirts and jackets. The patch may depict a marketing partner or team initiative.
