NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks post easy win over Blazers
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks during the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on February 06, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. The Milwaukee Bucks won 127-108. Alika Jenner/Getty Images/AFP
Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly posted his second triple-double in as many games, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists as the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to their eighth straight win, a 127-108 rout of the host Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Milwaukee never trailed while winning the opener of a three-game road trip. The lead swelled to as many as 26 points as the Bucks’ defense held Portland to just 37-of-91 shooting (40.7 percent) from the floor, including 9-for-36 (25 percent) from 3-point range.
The Bucks, meanwhile, connected on 16 of 42 (38.1 percent) from long distance and were 31 of 45 (68.9 percent) from inside of the arc.
Brook Lopez scored a team-high 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Milwaukee, making all seven of his 2-point field-goal attempts. Jrue Holiday, who added 20 points, shot 7-for-12 from inside 3-point range to offset a 2-for-8 performance from long range.
Holiday also matched Antetokounmpo’s game-high total of eight assists. Khris Middleton, who came off the bench to score 13 points, added five assists.
3 Bucks scored 20+ as they got the W in Portland 💪
Giannis: 24 PTS, 13 REB, 8 AST
Brook: 27 PTS, 9 REB
Jrue: 20 PTS, 4 REB, 8 AST pic.twitter.com/PJF6QKbFrR— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2023
Eleven Bucks players scored, including Pat Connaughton and Jevon Carter, who both shot 3-for-6 from 3-point range while finishing with 11 points. Carter also grabbed five rebounds off the bench.
All five Portland starters scored in double figures, led by Damian Lillard’s game-high 28 points. Lillard finished just 7-for-18 from the floor, however, doing a considerable portion of his damage on a 12-of-12 night at the free-throw line.
Anfernee Simons added 21 points in the loss. Josh Hart scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, Jerami Grant had 13 points and Drew Eubanks wound up with 10. Eubanks. Simons and Lillard each had five assists.
The loss opened a five-game homestand for the Trail Blazers and was their second in a row after they won five of the previous six.
The Bucks next head to Los Angeles for a back-to-back set against the Lakers on Thursday and the Clippers on Friday. The Trail Blazers play host to the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
