Bucks ride strong 3rd quarter to key win at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (CBS 58) -- Dame Time didn't start until after 10:00 p.m. on Friday night, but when Damian Lillard got hot, so did his teammates.

The Bucks outscored the Timberwolves 36-13 in the third quarter and held on for a 112-107 road win in a thriller seen on CBS 58.

Lillard was 1-for-9 from the floor in the first half but turned it on after halftime to finish just one rebound short of a triple-double. Lillard's 21 points and 10 assists, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's 33 points and 13 rebounds, proved to be a winning combination for a Bucks team looking to make a statement to start the season's stretch run.

Brook Lopez was 4-for-4 from three-point range in the first half on his way to 16 points, but still found themselves trailing by six at the half. The explosive third quarter gave Milwaukee a comfortable lead, but Minnesota responded with 37 fourth quarter points and got the game within three in the final seconds.

It was Lillard who hit a fadeaway with less than a minute to play to put the game out of reach.

The Bucks head to Philadelphia next as part of a stretch of eight road games in ten contests.