Bucks clinch thriller in NBA
los angeles — The Milwaukee Bucks bounced back from a disappointing defeat with a big win in Toronto on Sunday, edging the Raptors 104-99 in a battle of the NBA’s top Eastern Conference teams.
The Raptors still own the best record in the league at 21-7, but they suffered a second straight defeat after falling 106-105 to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
Malcolm Brogdon’s back-to-back three-pointers with 1:07 remaining first tied the score then put the Bucks up 100-97, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Brogdon scored 18 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 and matched his season-high with 19 rebounds for Milwaukee, who fell to the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors on Friday. Brook Lopez also scored 19 for Milwaukee, who became the first team to beat the Raptors twice this season.
The Bucks, who improved to 178, host Cleveland on Monday. He said shaking off the loss to Golden State wasn’t difficult.
Toronto have dropped two straight for the second time this season and have lost three of their last four. Serge Ibaka scored 22 points and Kawhi Leonard had 20 for the Raptors. But Kyle Lowry went scoreless for the first time this season, missing all five of his shots. Elsewhere, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz 110-97, avenging a 34-point loss to the Jazz on December 4.
DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points and Rudy Gay had 23 points and 15 rebounds as the Spurs put together two straight wins for the first time since they won four straight from October 27-November 3.
The victory was the 1,210th of coach Gregg Popovich’s career, moving him into a tie with Pat Riley for fourth place in NBA history.