Antetokounmpo drops career-high 44 in Bucks’ rout
(Field Level Media) Giannis Antetokounmpo matched a career-high 44 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and had eight assists yesterday as the visiting Milwaukee Bucks led wire-to-wire and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-102.
Antetokounmpo was coming off his lowest scoring game of the season — 12 in a loss Wednesday to Indiana. On Friday, he went 14-for-19 from the field and made 16 of 21 free-throw attempts.
Cleveland, which had trailed 94-80 early in the fourth, cut the deficit to 10297 with 4:20 to go. But the Bucks went on a 9-2 run to put game out of reach.
Brook Lopez scored 19 on 7-for-15 from the field and Eric Bledsoe added 16 points for the Bucks.
For the second time in a week Milwaukee and Cleveland played, and for the second time in a week the Bucks jumped out to a big lead and had to hold on for the win.
On Monday, the Bucks led by 18 at halftime and by as many as 26 in the second. Cleveland cut the deficit to 13 before faltering in a 108-92 loss.
Antetokounmpo did not play in Monday’s game because of a sore neck. Milwaukee starters Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon sat out Friday’s game.
Tony Snell, getting the start for Brogdon, connected early on two 3-pointers — his only points of the game — as Milwaukee scored the game’s first nine points.