Hot-shooting Bucks too much for Pistons
FILE– Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks in action against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Arena on December 29, 2020 in Miami, Florida. Michael Reaves/Getty Images/AFP
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points and eight rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 130-115 home win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Khris Middleton had 23 points and seven assists, Brook Lopez scored 17 points and Bobby Portis added 16 points off the bench for the Bucks.
Milwaukee won its third straight and swept the two-game set with the Pistons after winning the first on Monday.
Jerami Grant scored a game-high 31 points and Saddiq Bey had 20 points for Detroit, which lost its third straight.
Milwaukee got to the 80-point mark in the final minute of the first half, taking an 82-56 lead at halftime.
The Bucks shot 65.2 percent from the field (30 of 46) and 63.2 percent from 3-point range (12 of 19) in the first half alone.
Milwaukee’s offensive onslaught continued to start the second half, as the Bucks started the third quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 92-58 lead with 9:59 remaining in the third.
Detroit did make a modest run, scoring the game’s next 10 points to pull within 92-68, but by then it was too little, too late.
Milwaukee reached the 100-point mark with 2:58 left in the third quarter and held a 108-82 lead going into the fourth quarter.
After leading by only two points at 29-27 with 2:37 left in the first quarter, the Bucks started to pull away, finishing the first on a 15-6 spurt to take a 44-33 lead.
Milwaukee continued to stay hot in the second quarter, taking a 54-38 lead with 9:19 left until halftime.
With 3:00 left in the second quarter, Milwaukee had already reached the 70-point mark and built a 72-50 lead following a 3-pointer by Portis.
Derrick Rose, Detroit’s second-leading scorer, left the game in the first half and didn’t return after suffering a right knee contusion. He finished with 10 points.
