UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks have knocked off another division leader.
The Bucks closed on a 12-1 run to beat the short-handed Suns, 132-122.
Khris Middleton poured in a season-high 44 points in Milwaukee’s fourth straight win, a streak that includes games against the Heat and Bulls. Jrue Holiday helped the Bucks close out the win by scoring 17 of his 24 points in the final period.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes before fouling out with 1:12 left.
The Suns continued to play without All-Star guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul. DeAndre Ayton had a team-high 30 points, and Cam Payne had 23 for Phoenix, which has dropped three of five since an eight-game winning streak.
Checking out Sunday’s other NBA action:
— Jayson Tatum scored 34 of his season-high 54 points in the second half of the Celtics’ 13th win in 15 games, 126-120 over the Nets. Jaylen Brown added 21 points, including a 3-pointer that gave Boston a 121-115 lead in the final minute. Brooklyn wasted a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost for the 18th time in 23 games despite Kevin Durant’s 37 points.
— The Rockets had dropped 12 in a row before Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood carried them to a 123-112 win over the Grizzlies. Porter scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half, 19 in the third quarter. Wood delivered 28 points and 13 rebounds for Houston, which trailed by 10 at halftime.
— Bojan Bogdanovic made a franchise-record 11 3-pointers and scored 35 points to help the Jazz defeat the Thunder, 116-103. Donovan Mitchell had 24 points and 10 assists, and Jordan Clarkson added 20 points for the Jazz, who bounced back from Friday’s 124-90 loss to New Orleans. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder.
— The Nuggets outlasted the Pelicans, 138-130 as Nikola Jokic scored 30 of his 46 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Jokic hit two free throws to tie it with 3.2 second remaining in regulation and then knocked in a momentum-swinging 3-pointer with 1:30 left in OT. The Nuggets led 34-13 with 1:27 left in the opening quarter but trailed by four in overtime before scoring the game’s final 12 points.
— The Cavaliers won for just the second time in eight games as rookie Evan Mobley had 20 points and 17 rebounds in a 104-96 victory against the Raptors. Lauri Markkanen scored 22 and Darius Garland had 17 with 10 assists for the Cavs. Cedi Osman added 17 points and Kevin Love 15 as Cleveland improved to 3-0 against Toronto.
— The Knicks’ seven-game losing streak over after RJ Barrett provided 24 points and nine rebounds in a 116-93 laugher over the Clippers. Immanuel Quickley chipped in 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists off the bench, while Cam Reddish had 17 points in a reserve role. Backup Amir Coffey was the lone Clipper with more than 14 points, finishing with 16.
— Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points in his first game for the Wizards, a 133-123 win over the Pacers. Porzingis returned from a right knee bone bruise and played for the first time since the Wizards acquired him from Dallas in a trade last month. Kyle Kuzma scored 23 points for the Wizards, who took control of the game with a 39-point third quarter.
Randle fined $50K
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined New York Knicks forward Julius Randle $50,000 for shoving Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson, making contact with a referee who was trying to break up the altercation and refusing to participate in its ensuing investigation.
Randle and Johnson were both called for technical fouls after bumping chests and exchanging words in the third quarter of a wild 115-114 victory by the Suns over the Knicks on Friday night. A referee separated the two, but then Randle barreled through the ref to shove Johnson again, which earned the ejection.
In other NBA news:
— Miami guard Victor Oladipo is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Rockets. That means there’s a 50-50 chance of the two-time All-Star playing for the first time in nearly a year. The expectation is that Oladipo will play barring any last-second setback.
