Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on March 04, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 39 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 142-115 win over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
The Bucks have won five consecutive games while the Thunder have dropped three in a row and 11 of their last 14.
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Milwaukee’s 142 points were its most of the season and the second-most allowed by Oklahoma City, behind a 152-79 loss at Memphis in early December.
Milwaukee didn’t have an answer for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting, a career-high 14 assists and eight rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 13 points, six assists and two steals in the first quarter.
But the Thunder couldn’t slow down Antetokounmpo, who was 13 of 19 from the floor. Antetokounmpo hit all four of his 3-pointers, including pulling up for one several feet beyond the top of the key to beat the buzzer before halftime.
Khris Middleton added 25 points and nine assists for Milwaukee, while Bobby Portis added 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Khris stays hot. ♨️
25 PTS | 2 REB | 9 AST | 4-7 3PM pic.twitter.com/0mByJVGkDA
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 9, 2022
The Bucks scored 39 in the first quarter, grabbing the lead for good by midway through the quarter.
The Thunder have allowed more than 34 points per game in the first quarter over their past three games.
The Bucks stayed hot in the second, hitting their first eight shots — three by Antetokounmpo.
Both teams shot 58 percent or better in the first half. Milwaukee finished 20 of 40 on 3-pointers, the fourth time this season it has shot at least 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 29 points in each of his last seven games.
Lindy Waters III added 16 points for Oklahoma City.
Milwaukee led by 19 late in the third quarter, before the Thunder scored the final seven points to cut the deficit to 12.
The Bucks stretched the lead back to 19 early in the fourth but still let Oklahoma City in the game with another 7-0 run that got the Thunder within 12 with about seven minutes remaining.
But the Thunder went three minutes without a field goal as Milwaukee stretched its lead to a game-high 22 points.