Bucks clip Spurs for sixth straight victory
FILE – Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks moves the ball up the court against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Patrick Smith / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a quiet 26 points to lead seven in double figures as the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the visiting San Antonio Spurs 120-113 on Saturday to win their sixth straight.
Antetokounmpo dished a season-high 15 assists and added eight rebounds. Milwaukee has won 11 of 12 and all five of their games since the All-Star break.
👀🔥🦌
Career high-tying 15 ASSISTS for @Giannis_An34 in the @Bucks 6th-straight win! pic.twitter.com/Wf9VheTwMP
— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2021
The Bucks led by seven at halftime and four after three periods and never let San Antonio, which was playing the second game of a road back-to-back, closer than four points in the final quarter.
Khris Middleton added 23 for the Bucks, with Jrue Holiday scoring 21, Donte DiVincenzo hitting for 12 points and taking 13 rebounds, Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton tallying 11 points each, and Bryn Forbes pouring in 10 for Milwaukee.
Lonnie Walker IV scored a career-high 31 points to pace the Spurs, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. DeMar DeRozan added 22 points and a season-high 13 assists. Keldon Johnson had 17 and Rudy Gay scored 15 points.
The Spurs played without Dejounte Murray and Patty Mills, who was held out of the game for rest. Murray had started every game this year for San Antonio, while Mills had played in each contest.
The Spurs led by as many as 14 points early in the second quarter, 42-28, before Milwaukee forged a 15-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Connaughton to go up 43-42 with 4:45 to play in the half. The Bucks continued to outscore San Antonio 31-17 in the period and led 57-50 at the break.
The 17 points in the second period was a season-low for the Spurs, who went nearly 6 1/2 minutes of the quarter without a field goal.
Holiday led the Bucks with 14 points in the half that included a 3-pointer at the buzzer and Antetokounmpo had nine. DeRozan hit for 10 points to pace the Spurs.
San Antonio rallied to the lead briefly late in the third quarter before Holiday scored the period’s final five points. The last three came from the free throw line after a foul at the buzzer to send the Bucks to an 88-84 advantage heading to the final 12 minutes.
