Brogdon clutch, Bucks defeat Raptors
Holiday scores 37 to lead Pelicans past Pistons
TORONTO — After playing a starring role down the stretch, Malcolm Brogdon called this Milwaukee’s best performance of the season.
Brogdon hit tying and go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 67 seconds and the Bucks held on to beat Toronto Raptors 104-99 on Sunday night.
Brogdon scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points and matched a season high with 19 rebounds, and Brook Lopez had 19 points for the Bucks, the first team to beat Toronto twice this season.
“In terms of having a full game, playing hard on both ends and executing at a high level on both ends, executing the game plan, and then finishing strong down the stretch, that is definitely the top game for us,” Brogdon said.
The Bucks (17-8) bounced back from Friday’s loss to Golden State and have yet to lose consecutive games this season.
“That’s how special this team is,” Antetokounmpo said.
Serge Ibaka scored 22 points and Kawhi Leonard had 20 for the Raptors, who have lost two straight, the second time this season they’ve suffered consecutive defeats. Toronto, which lost 106-105 at Brooklyn on Friday, dropped three straight from Nov. 12 to 16, losing at home to New Orleans and Detroit before an overtime defeat at Boston.
Fred VanVleet scored a season-high 19 points and Pascal Siakam had 17 for the Raptors, whose 21-7 record is best in the NBA.
Neither Leonard (rest) nor Antetokounmpo (concussion protocol) played when the Raptors lost 124-109 at Milwaukee on Oct. 29, Toronto’s first defeat following a 6-0 start.
Toronto’s Kyle Lowry shot 0 for 5 and didn’t score for the first time since March 17, 2013 against Miami. Lowry led the Raptors with seven assists.
“Just couldn’t find the open ones tonight,” Lowry said. All of his misses Sunday were from 3-point range.
Milwaukee led 79-74 heading to the fourth and pushed its lead to 85-74.
Toronto battled back to lead 97-94 on a 3 by Leonard at 2:07, but Brogdon hit the tying 3 at 1:07 and followed with a go-ahead jumper with 40 seconds left.
PELICANS 116, PISTONS 108: In Detroit, Jrue Holiday scored 37 points and Julius Randle added 28 as New Orleans dealt Detroit its fourth straight loss.
Pelicans star Anthony Davis left with a right hip injury after a first-quarter collision with Blake Griffin. Davis returned early in the third quarter, but finished with only six points — three before the injury. He also had five blocks and nine rebounds.
Griffin scored 35 points for Detroit, Andre Drummond had 23 points and 19 rebounds, and Langston Galloway added a season-best 24 off the bench.
“Jrue Holiday was a really tough challenge for Bruce (Brown) to handle by himself, and even when we sent Reggie
(Jackson) over to help, he still had his way with us,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “We are getting great looks on the other end, but we’ve got to knock them down.”
Drummond had 10 offensive rebounds for the 22nd time in his career — Tyson Chandler is second among active players with 15. SPURS 110, JAZZ 97: In San Antonio, DeMar DeRozan had 26 points and eight rebounds and Rudy Gay added 23 points and 15 rebounds as San Antonio won its second straight after dropping four of five.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points for the Spurs.
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, all in the second half, and Ricky Rubio added 26 for the Jazz. Rudy Gobert was the only other player in double figures, with 12 points.
HORNETS 119, KNICKS 107: In New York, Kemba Walker scored 25 points and Jeremy Lamb added 19 as Charlotte beat New York.
Tony Parker scored 16 points, Marvin Williams had 13 and Cody Zeller finished with 12 as Charlotte led by as many as 28 points in a game it never trailed.
Knicks rookie Kevin Knox tied a season high with 26 points and set a career high with 15 rebounds, while Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points.
Lamb’s layup with 8:50 left in the third quarter gave the Hornets their biggest lead at 77-49.
New York pulled within 18 on Knox’s 3-pointer before Walker’s long 3 pushed the lead to 99-78 heading to the fourth.