Giannis, Bucks brush aside Magic for sixth win in seven
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks handles the ball as Bryn Forbes #7 sets a pick on Sindarius Thornwell #12 of the Orlando Magic during the first half of a game at Fiserv Forum on May 11, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 27 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 114-102 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.
Donte DiVincenzo scored 19 points as the Bucks (44-25) won for the sixth time in the past seven games. Brook Lopez added 17 points and Jrue Holiday had 15 for Milwaukee.
The Bucks remain one game behind the Brooklyn Nets for second place in the Eastern Conference with three games left.
Cole Anthony scored 18 points and Moritz Wagner registered 17 points and a season-best 13 rebounds for Orlando (21-48), which has lost four straight games and 17 of its past 21.
Giannis filled up the stat sheet:
27 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST | 3 STL pic.twitter.com/4i6DdpH1eg
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) May 12, 2021
Gary Harris scored 14 points, Chasson Randle added 12 and R.J. Hampton had 11 for the Magic, who went 0-3 against Milwaukee this season and have dropped the past seven regular-season meetings.
Orlando, which never led, trailed by 15 in the second quarter and by 14 in the third quarter.
The Magic moved within seven on a basket by Wendell Carter Jr. with 6:43 remaining before Holiday scored five points during a 7-0 spurt that gave the Bucks a 101-87 advantage with 5:39 left. The Magic didn’t get closer than 10 the rest of the way.
Khris Middleton added 11 points despite 3-of-15 shooting for the Bucks, who connected on 42.6 percent of their shots and 8 of 33 (24.2 percent) from 3-point range. Milwaukee owned a 63-52 rebounding advantage, led by Bobby Portis’ season-best 15 (one shy of his career high).
Orlando shot 41.5 percent from the field, including 10 of 30 (33.3 percent) from behind the arc. Carter collected 14 boards for the Magic.
Orlando trailed 65-58 after a 3-pointer by Wagner with 8:05 remaining in the third quarter. Milwaukee answered with a 10-3 run to push the lead to 14. However, the Magic finished the quarter with a 10-4 burst to pull within 79-71 entering the final stanza.
Antetokounmpo and Lopez scored 11 points apiece as the Bucks led 59-48 at the break.
Milwaukee led 29-22 after the opening quarter and increased the margin to 47-32 on Lopez’s 3-pointer with 5:57 left in the half.
