Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum on December 17, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP
Two nights after losing by 41 points in Memphis, the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks paid the punishment forward by walloping the visiting Utah Jazz 123-97 on Saturday night.
Bobby Portis scored 22 with 14 rebounds, Jrue Holiday had 21 points and eight assists and Brook Lopez contributed 18 points and eight boards as the Bucks benefited from a 67-point turnaround from the lopsided loss to the Grizzlies.
The Bucks did that despite playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, who were both sidelined with knee soreness.
Bobby got the start tonight & made the most of it.
22 PTS | 14 REB | 56% FG pic.twitter.com/pudM8JnqWk
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 18, 2022
Milwaukee led by nine after three quarters when things went awry for the Jazz, who were coming off consecutive impressive home wins over New Orleans.
Utah went scoreless for nearly five minutes into the final quarter. By the time Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored the Jazz’s first points of the fourth quarter with 7:04 remaining, the Bucks had seized complete control with a 13-0 run.
Lauri Markkanen and Malik Beasley both scored 18 points for the Jazz, who scored fewer than 100 points for just the second time this season. After putting up 36 points in the third quarter, the Jazz only managed to score 14 in the decisive fourth.
Portis scored 15 points in the first quarter to help the Bucks take a 27-22 lead.
Holiday then got cooking in the second quarter, scoring 10 straight points to turn a tied contest into a 52-42 lead for Milwaukee. That stretch included back-to-back 3-pointers by Holiday.
MarJon Beauchamp had a solid outing for the Bucks, scoring 18 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Grayson Allen, whose NBA career began in Utah, scored 13 points.
Milwaukee received some positive injury news on Saturday. ESPN reported that Joe Ingles is expected to make his 2022-23 season and Bucks debut on Monday night after missing the past 10 months due to an ACL injury, which happened while he played for Utah last season.
Alexander-Walker finished with 14 points for the Jazz, while Jordan Clarkson added 13.