Curry out with sore ankle, Warriors beat Bucks
Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant drives past Milwaukee Bucks’ Eric Bledsoe during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
MILWAUKEE — Kevin Durant scored 26 points, Draymond Green added 21 and the Golden State Warriors used a 13-4 run in the fourth quarter to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-94 on Friday night.
With sharpshooting star Stephen Curry still sidelined by a right ankle injury, the Warriors clamped down on defense and did most of their damage on the other end in the lane.
Durant’s mid-range jumper gave Golden State a 96-90 lead before the All-Star forward hit an open 3 with 2:15 left to cap the run with a three-possession lead. The Warriors were just 3 of 13 from 3-point range until Durant and Green hit back-to-back 3s in the final 3 minutes to seal their 11th straight road win.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 points to lead the Bucks. They were outscored 28-12 in the fourth after hitting just 5 of 20 from the field.
Milwaukee played some of its best ball with Antetokounmpo on the bench. He didn’t play the final 4:41 of the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul.
Trailing by 14 at halftime, the Bucks turned to the Golden State way to get back in the game — hitting clutch shots from 3-point range.
Malcolm Brogdon and Tony Snell hit two 3s apiece in the 15-7 run with Antetokounmpo on the bench to give Milwaukee an 82-80 lead after three quarters.
The best team in the West asserted its dominance over the aspiring contender in the East in the fourth.
Durant had 17 first-half points to help Golden State build its 63-49 halftime lead. With Curry out, the Warriors instead focused on driving to the hoop and gave the Bucks fits at time with cutters.
Durant might be one of the few scorers in the league who can still teach Antetokounmpo a few moves, like the fake Durant used to blow past the Bucks’ star for an easy dunk.
TIP-INS:
Warriors: Curry re-sprained the troublesome ankle before the loss Wednesday night to the Los Angeles Clippers. Coach Steve Kerr said Curry lobbied to return Friday and felt good at shootaround, but that the ankle still wasn’t well enough for him to play. Kerr said Curry will also be listed as questionable for the game Saturday night in Toronto.
Bucks: Three-point shooting defense has improved of late after holding four of the previous five opponents to 31 percent or less from beyond the arc. They’re allowing foes to shoot 38 percent from 3-point range on the year. “We are making a conscious effort. We are trying to get better at guarding the 3,” coach Jason Kidd said.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Head to Toronto on Saturday to face the Raptors.
Bucks: Travel to Miami to face the Heat in the first of a two-game swing.
