Bucks beat Spurs 120-113 for season-best 6th straight win
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and a season-high 15 assists, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 120-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.
The Bucks (27-14) won their season-best sixth straight game as Khris Middleton scored 23 points and Jrue Holiday added 21. Antetokounmpo grabbed eight rebounds, barely missing a triple double.
Lonnie Walker scored a career-high 31 points for the Spurs (22-17), and DeMar DeRozan added 22.
The Spurs trailed 98-94 with 8:32 left after a jumper by Walker. Middleton responded with a 3-pointer and Pat Connaughton scored a layup off an assist by Antetokounmpo. Two more 3-pointers by Middleton in the final 5 1/2 minutes helped the Bucks pull away, and Antetokounmpo added a powerful dunk and a 3-pointer.
Donte DiVincenzo had 12 points and a team-high 13 rebounds for Milwaukee, which won for the 11th time in 12 games.
Holiday was fouled by Devin Vassell on a 3-point attempt with five-tenths of a second left in the third quarter, and Holiday made all three free throws to give the Bucks an 88-84 lead.
The Spurs led by as many as 14 points in the first half, sparked by a strong start from DeRozan, who had eight points in the opening quarter.
Milwaukee rallied to take a 43-42 lead on a 3-pointer by Connaughton and trailed again briefly before grabbing a 57-50 halftime lead. Holiday scored 14 points in the half and Middleton added 10.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Dejounte Murray and Patty Mills were held out of the lineup for rest as San Antonio played the second game of a back-to-back set and the finale of a five-game, seven-day trip. “It takes its toll,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We just decided with this increased density in the schedule since the all-star break that we needed to help them stay in good shape. And we’ve been in constant contact with the league; they’ve been great about understanding the situation.” … Popovich is one victory away from reaching 1,300 in his career. The only other NBA coaches to reach that level were Don Nelson (1,335) and Lenny Wilkens. (1,332).
Bucks: P.J. Tucker made his Milwaukee debut after being acquired in a trade with Houston on Wednesday. The 35-year-old forward had not played since March 3 while waiting for the rebuilding Rockets to make a deal. “We’ll keep a close eye on him,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’re certainly aware it’s been some time since he played an NBA game. But at some point, you’ve got to jump back in and start getting conditioning, timing, rhythm.” He entered the game with 4:32 left in the first quarter and played 13 minutes. He had three rebounds and did not score. … Rodions Kurucs, also obtained in the Houston trade, was inactive (health and safety protocols).