UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and helped them earn their eighth consecutive victory.
Antetokounmpo didn’t seem too bothered by the sprained knee that forced him to miss Monday’s game, contributing 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes of the Bucks’ 121-119 downing of the Celtics.
Khris Middleton poured in 27 points and grabbed 13 boards for the Bucks, who led 90-65 midway through the third quarter before hanging on.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 24 points, Kemba Walker had 23 and Jayson Tatum had 18. Tatum was back after missing one game due to illness.
Checking out Wednesday’s other NBA action:
— Donovan Mitchell provided five 3-pointers and 27 points in just three quarters of action as the Jazz ripped the Nets, 118-88. Bojan Bogdanovic was mired in a 3-for-25 shooting slump from 3-point range before making 4 of 6 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in Utah’s fourth win in five games. James Harden was scratched by Brooklyn due to a sore neck, joining teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the sideline.
— Kawhi Leonard had 25 points and the Clippers never trailed in clobbering the Spurs, 134-101. Marcus Morris Sr. added 20 points, Paul George had 17 points and Lou Williams had 16 for Los Angeles. The Clippers won their third straight and captured their 11th victory by 20 points or more this season.
— Evan Fournier scored the last of his 21 points on a driving layup over Deandre Ayton with 6.4 seconds left, pushing the Magic past the Suns, 112-111. Nikola Vucevic scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his 30th double-double. Orlando trailed by 13 in the early going and by five in the fourth period before rallying behind Vucevic’s 32nd 20-point performance of the season.
— The Raptors’ nine-game losing streak has ended as Kyle Lowry had nine assists, eight points, and five rebounds in what may have been his final game for Toronto, a 135-111 rout of the Nuggets. The victory came on the eve of the NBA’s trade deadline, and with Lowry and Norman Powell front and center of numerous trade rumors. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 27 points, while OG Anunoby had 23 and Powell 22.
— Kristaps Porzingis furnished 29 points and seven Mavericks scored at least 10 in a 128-108 dismantling of the Timberwolves. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points off the bench for Dallas, and Luka Doncic finished with 15. Rookie Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 29 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter.
— De’Aaron Fox scored 37 points and Tyrese Haliburton made a pair of free throws with 36.6 seconds remaining to guide the Kings past the Hawks, 110-108. Haliburton finished with 17 points and seven assists, while Richaun Holmes contributed 16 points and eight rebounds. Clint Capella had 25 points and 17 rebounds for Atlanta, which has lost back-to-back games after winning its first eight under coach Nate McMillan.
— Dillon Brooks matched a season high with 25 points in the Grizzlies’ fourth win in five games, 116-107 versus the Thunder. Grayson Allen scored 20 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 with 15 rebounds for Memphis, which moved a game over .500. Moses Brown had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Horford added 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Thunder.
— Terry Rozier dropped in 25 points and Devonte’ Graham added 21 for the Hornets in a 122-97 romp over the Rockets. Houston quickly returned to the loss column after snapping a 20-game losing streak Monday night. Charlotte opened the third quarter on a 10-2 run and entered the fourth with a 93-70 lead after outscoring the Rockets 35-15 in the third.
— Caris LeVert scored 28 points and the Pacers snapped a six-game home losing streak with a 116-111 victory over the Pistons. LeVert’s fourth 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining clinched the victory. Edmond Sumner scored 18 points off the bench and Malcolm Brogden chipped in 16 for Indiana.
— The Cavaliers earned a 103-94 win over the Bulls as Darius Garland had 22 points and nine assists. Jarrett Allen added 19 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland, which played without leading scorer Collin Sexton. Larry Nance, Jr. had 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as the Cavs limited Chicago’s top scorers Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen in the second half.
