UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 points and Khris Middleton tied Milwaukee’s franchise record for career 3-pointers in the Bucks’ 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Middleton returned after missing eight games due to COVID-19 and made consecutive 3-pointers 30 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter to put the Bucks ahead for good. The second of those 3-pointers was his 1,051st as a Buck to match Ray Allen for first place on the team’s all-time list.
LeBron James missed an eighth straight game for the Lakers due to an abdominal strain.
In other NBA action:
— The Phoenix Suns ran their winning streak to 10 games, beating the Dallas Mavericks 105-98. Chris Paul drove to the basket and was about to fall out of bounds before finding Deandre Ayton for the dunk and a four-point lead with 1:27 left. Devin Booker hit a long 3-pointer with the shot-clock expiring with 50 seconds left to seal it.
— Damian Lillard struggled at the start but warmed up to finish with 22 points and 10 assists, rallying the Portland Trail Blazers to a 112-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Jusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who trailed by 20 in the first half.
— The Charlotte Hornets beat the Washington Wizards 97-87. Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 19 points, while Miles Bridges added 17 and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14. It was the Hornets’ fourth straight win and ended the Wizards’ five-game winning steak.
— James Harden scored 27 points, LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 and Kevin Durant 23 to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 109-99. Patty Mills added 21 points to give the Nets four 20-point scorers for the first time this season. Brooklyn improved to 11-5 with its eighth victory in 10 games.
— The Atlanta Hawks have now won three in a row. John Collins scored 20 points, Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter had 19 apiece in a 110-99 victory over the Boston Celtics. Trae Young chipped in with 18 points as the Hawks used a balanced attack to overcome a 34-point performance by Jayson Tatum.
— The Miami Heat had to play without injured starters Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry but, thanks in large part to Jimmy Butler, still managed a 113-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Butler had a triple-double in his return from a sprained right ankle, finishing with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
— Jeremi Grant scored 19 points and Cory Joseph added 18 as the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 97-89. Cade Cunningham added 16 points for Detroit, and Saddiq Bey scored 15. Both teams shot below 43% from the floor and under 30% on 3-pointers.
— The Orlando Magic rallied late in the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Knicks 104-98. Cole Anthony had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Mo Bamba added 12 points and 11 boards, while Terrence Ross scored 19 points off the bench.
— Lu Dort scored 34 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 101-89. The Thunder snapped a two-game skid with their largest victory margin of the season. The Rockets have lost 13 straight.
— Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 107-97 win against the Sacramento Kings. The Timberwolves’ improved defense held Sacramento to 36.6% shooting and forced 20 turnovers.
