Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Khris Middleton scored 25 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-98 on Saturday night in a matchup of Eastern Conference rivals.
Antetokounmpo added eight assists to help Milwaukee win for the 16th time in its last 18 games to improve its NBA-best record to 48-8.
The Bucks led 56-50 at the half before Antetokounmpo scored the first seven points of the third quarter to give Milwaukee a quick 13-point lead. The Bucks would go on to outscore the 76ers 37-23 in the period to pull away.
Joel Embiid, coming off a 39-point performance Thursday night, had 17 points and 11 rebounds but shot just 5 for 18. Furkan Korkmaz also scored 17 points for the 76ers, who fell to 9-20 on the road.
Philadelphia lost All-Star point guard Ben Simmons early in the first quarter. Simmons, who missed the 76ers’ previous game with lower back tightness, headed to the locker room after making consecutive driving layups, the second with a little more than 7 minutes left in the opening quarter. He didn’t return after the injured flared up.