MILWAUKEE – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 40 points on 18-for-26 shooting from the field to help rally the Milwaukee Bucks to a 132-125 “total team win” over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Nov 18.
Said Bucks coach Adrian Griffin: “It was a great character win. Back to back, short-handed... but everyone stepped up and it was a total team win.”
Damian Lillard added 27 for the Bucks (9-4), who won their fourth consecutive game and their second in as many nights in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Said Antetokounmpo: “Every game that goes by, I’m going to be more comfortable (playing with Lillard). As we move forward, we’re going to keep learning how to play with each other. It’s getting better. It’s a work in progress.”
Pat Connaughton had 16 for Milwaukee, including a three-pointer with 56 seconds remaining to give the Bucks a five-point lead. “Anything to win,” he said, adding that the key to closing it out was: “Competitiveness. We’ve got guys that compete. Period.”
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks (9-4) with 39 points, including 33 in the second half. Luka Doncic had 35 points for Dallas, who have now lost two of their last three games, and Tim Hardaway Jr added 17.
The Bucks outscored the Mavericks 43-27 in the final quarter and rallied after trailing by as many as 12 in the second half. The victory was on the second night of a back-to-back game, with Milwaukee beating the Charlotte Hornets 130-99 on Nov 17.
Antetokounmpo scored 15 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter and led all players with 15 rebounds. He also added seven assists.
After trailing by two points at half-time and by as many as 11 in the first half, Dallas began the third quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 71-60 lead. Doncic was responsible for 10 of the 13 Dallas points to open the half.
Irving then scored 18 of Dallas’ 40 third-quarter points to help guide the Mavericks to a 98-89 advantage after three quarters.
In the first half, a Lillard trey gave Milwaukee a 55-44 lead – their largest of the game to that point – with 5:39 remaining before the Mavericks closed the half on a 14-5 run.
Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 20 first-half points, while Doncic paced Dallas with 17.
Milwaukee were without Khris Middleton, who missed the game with a right knee injury. Starting in his place was rookie Andre Jackson Jr, who was scoreless in 12 minutes.
In San Francisco, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren combined for 76 points as the Thunder erased an 18-point deficit to beat Golden State 130-123 in overtime, handing the Warriors a sixth straight defeat.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 of his 40 points in overtime and rookie Holmgren’s 36 points included a turnaround three-pointer with seven-tenths of a second left in regulation to force the extra session.
Said Gilgeous-Alexander: “It felt like a movie in the moment.”
Holmgren added of Gilgeous-Alexander: “When one of your best offence players is one of your best defence players, it’s huge. He really ignites us on both ends with his energy.”
Andrew Wiggins had put Golden State up 117-114 with a three with 3.1 seconds left, but Holmgren responded and the Thunder outscored the Warriors 13-6 in overtime.
Wiggins scored a season-high 31 points and Stephen Curry added 25 on his return from a strained right knee.
With Draymond Green still serving his five-game suspension for a chokehold on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert, the Warriors fell to 1-6 at home.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Miami Heat’s seven-game winning streak came to an end with an agonising 102-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio’s losing streak stretched to eight games despite another big night from Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs again squandered a big lead in a 120-108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. AFP, REUTERS
