Bucks end Raptors’ seven-game streak
Rockets beat Timberwolves for 11th straight win, James’ triple-double leads Cavaliers past Grizzlies
>> LOS ANGELES: The Milwaukee Bucks turned the tables on Eastern Conference leaders Toronto on Friday, winning 122-119 in overtime to snap the Raptors’ seven-game NBA winning streak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the Bucks.
“We did a really good job just moving the ball, defending, just playing together,” Antetokounmpo said. “We were able to stay calm down the stretch and get a tough win.”
Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas slammed down a dunk at the buzzer in regulation to send the game to overtime.
But the Bucks, with 21 points apiece from Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton, emerged with the victory over a Raptors team that had won 15 of their 17 prior encounters.
“You’ve got to understand, this team sent us home last year,” Bucks guard Jason Terry said in a half-time television interview. “This game is personal. This is a pride thing.”
Toronto and Milwaukee also went to overtime on Jan 1, when DeMar DeRozan set a Toronto franchise record with 52 points in the Raptors’ 131-127 victory.
It looked like the Raptors would pull it off again when Toronto scored the first five points of overtime, but Terry and Middleton made three-pointers in an 8-0 Bucks scoring run that gave Milwaukee a 118-115 lead with 1:58 minutes remaining and they wouldn’t fall behind again.
“We showed growth as a team tonight,” Antetokounmpo said.
The Raptors remained one game ahead of the Boston Celtics atop the East.
The Celtics returned from the AllStar break with a 110-98 victory over the Pistons in Detroit.
Leading 77-73 with 2:47 minutes left in the third quarter, Boston mounted a 22-6 scoring run to seize control, limiting the Pistons to three field goals in the span.
Western Conference leaders Houston notched their 11th straight victory as James Harden scored 31 points in a 120-102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The defeat was even more bitter for the Timberwolves, who lost All-Star Jimmy Butler to an apparent right knee injury late in the third quarter.
Butler had seized a rebound, turned and planted his right foot when he fell to the court, clutching his right knee. He was carried from the court by two teammates.
In New Orleans, the Pelicans edged the Heat 124-123 in overtime.
Anthony Davis scored nine of his 45 points in the extra period and guard Jrue Holiday produced the game-winning jump shot with 7.3 seconds left as the Pelicans dealt the Heat their eighth defeat in nine games.
It was close in Denver, where Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic posted a tripledouble to lead the hosts to a 122-119 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Jokic finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists before fouling out with 1:46 minutes to play — when Denver were leading by just one point.
With Jokic off the floor, Gary Harris drained a jump shot and broke away for a dunk and Mason Plumlee added a dunk as the Nuggets held on for the victory.
There was no such drama in Memphis, where Cleveland superstar LeBron James notched his 11th triple-double of the season as the Cavaliers cruised to a 112-89 victory over the Grizzlies.
James scored 18 points with 14 rebounds and 11 assists for the Cavaliers.