Bucks take 2-1 lead over Magic in playoff series
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. >> Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic 121-107 on Saturday for a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Antetokounmpo went 12 of 14 as the top-seeded Bucks shot 56.1% from the floor. Khris Middleton had 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
“I was just trying to play hard,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously it was an early game today, we played at 1 p.m., (when) usually we’re not as focused, when the game starts, we’re kind of a little bit lazy. I was trying to set the tone, play hard, guard my guy, take that individual challenge with my guy, trying to be active. I was just trying to be all over the place.”
Game 3 included a secondquarter scuffle between Orlando forward James Ennis and Milwaukee forward Marvin Williams, who were both ejected after exchanging shoves. The incident occurred as both players were heading back up the floor after battling for rebounding position.
D.J. Augustin scored 24 points for Orlando. Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross added 20 points each.
“Already our margin for error against a team like the Bucks is very minimal,” Vucevic said. “They’re a great team. We have to play at a very high level to have a chance. They’re a great team. We have to play at a very high level to have a chance. Today we didn’t give ourselves a chance at all, and they really brought it.”
The skirmish between Ennis and Williams took place during a 13-0 run that put the Bucks in control of the game.
Milwaukee had a 45-34 lead before holding Orlando scoreless for a stretch of nearly five minutes. The Bucks had a 24-point edge by the time Vucevic ended the Orlando drought with 3:20 left before halftime.
The Bucks led by as many as 34 in the third quarter while delivering their second straight dominant start. It represents a major step forward for the Bucks after they went 3-5 in seeding games while struggling to adapt to playing without spectators in the bubble setting at Disney’s Wide World of Sports,
“We’re finding that we’re going to have to bring our own energy ourselves because we don’t have those fans out here right now,” Middleton said. “Right now, we’ve just got do do the best we can in bringing that energy as a group together, going out there and competing every night.”
THUNDER 119, ROCKETS 107, OT >>
Dennis Schroder scored 29 points, Chris Paul added 26 points and Oklahoma City dominated in overtime to beat Houston Rockets and cut the playoff deficit in the first-round series to 2-1.
James Harden scored 38 points for Houston, but fouled out 53 seconds into overtime — the first time he’s fouled out this season.
The Thunder scored the first 12 points of overtime, powered by two 3-pointers from Paul, to take a 116-104 lead.
HEAT 124, PACERS 115 >>
Jimmy Butler scored 27 points and Miami held off Indians’ comeback attempt to take a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series.
Goran Dragic added 24 points, Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyler Herro scored 20 points for the Heat. They can sweep the series Monday.
Malcolm Brogdon set career playoff highs with 34 points and 14 assists for the Pacers. T.J. Warren scored 23 points, and Victor Oladipo added 20.
DONCIC A GAME-TIME DECISION FOR MAVERICKS >>
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 4 due to a sprained left ankle that caused him to exit Friday night’s 130-122 loss to the LA Clippers in the fourth quarter.
Coach Rick Carlisle said he anticipates that the Mavs will not know whether Doncic is available until minutes before tipoff.