Nets hold off Bucks as Antetokounmpo rests after half

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored a career-high 26 points and hit two clutch 3-pointers down the stretch to help the visiting Brooklyn Nets pull out a 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks yesterday near Orlando.

Luwawu-Cabarrot surpassed his previous career-high of 24 set Friday against Orlando by shooting 8 of 12 from the field and making five 3-pointers, including two right before he fouled out with 2:16 remaining.

Milwaukee held a 107-104 lead on a 3-pointer by D.J Wilson that capped a 17-4 run but the Nets quickly responded and LuwawuCabarrot’s first clutch 3-pointer gave the Nets the lead for good at 112-110 with 2:59 left and his second clutch 3-pointer made it 115110 with 2:31 remaining.

The Bucks’ Kyle Korver cut the lead to 115-114 by hitting a jumper with 1:48 remaining but the Nets got clutch shots from Tyler Johnson and Garrett Temple in the final minute along with a defensive stop by Jeremiah Martin on the game’s final possession.

Johnson put back a missed 3-pointer by Chris Chiozza to make it 117-114 with 58.7 seconds remaining. Following a basket by Donte DiVincenzo with 30 seconds left, Temple hit a jumper over Marvin Williams from the right side with 7.3 seconds and the game ended when Martin poked the ball away from DiVincenzo before he could release a shot.

Temple added 19 for the Nets, who shot 41.7 percent and hit 21 3-pointers while playing without Jarrett Allen (rest), Joe Harris (lower back/right hamstring) and Caris LeVert (left thigh contusion). Brooklyn also lost Jamal Crawford early in the second due to a left hamstring injury after he played six minutes.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 16 points and rested for the second half in a predetermined move by Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer, who also rested Khris Middleton in the second half. Korver added 13 as Milwaukee lost for the sixth time in eight games dating to March 1.

The Nets hit seven 3-pointers and ended the opening period on a 10-0 run to take a 40-34 lead on a put back by Dzanan Musa just before the buzzer. Brooklyn ended the second quarter on a 13-5 run and took a 73-65 halftime lead on a corner 3-pointer by Temple with 6.7 seconds remaining.

The Nets carried a 94-88 lead into the fourth quarter.

—Field Level Media