Wizards squander big lead but hang on

WASHINGTON 107 MILWAUKEE 104

Bradley Beal scored 21 points, and made a clutch three-point basket and a free throw down the stretch, to help the Washington Wizards hang on for a 107-104 victory over the host Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

“Great teams win on the road,” Beal said. “You won’t have success unless you win on the road.”

Washington won its fourth consecutive road game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, who trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half.

The Wizards had their lead cut to one point five times in the fourth quarter, the last time when Thon Maker converted a three-point shot and John Henson slammed a pass from Antetokounmpo to pull to 99-98 with 3 minutes 37 seconds to play.

Eric Bledsoe, who had 17 points, sparked the Bucks’ resurgence in the third quarter with eight points during an 18-6 run that cut Milwaukee’s deficit to 70-68.

After a timeout, the Wizards pushed the lead to seven points.

at Cleveland 129, Brooklyn 123:

LeBron James had 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Cavaliers, and finished a month averaging a triple-double for the first time in his career. It was his 67th tripledouble, and the 12th this season. He reached 8,000 to become the first player to reach that milestone, along with 30,000 points and 8,000 rebounds.

at Charlotte 118, Chicago 103:

Kemba Walker scored 31 points and Dwight Howard had 24 after returning from a first-quarter back injury to help the Hornets win their season-best fifth game in a row. Zach LaVine had 21 points for the Bulls, who have lost five consecutive games.

at Miami 102, Philadelphia 101:

Dwyane Wade scored a seasonhigh 27 points, the last two on a jump shot with 5.9 seconds to play that gave the Heat their only lead of the fourth quarter. Goran Dragic scored 21 points for the Heat. Joel Embiid scored 23 points for the 76ers and Dario Saric had 21.

at Portland 116, Sacramento 99:

Damian Lillard had 26 points and 12 assists, and the Trail Blazers won their fourth consecutive game, matching their longest winning streak this season. Zach Randolph scored 20 points for the Kings, who lost at Portland for the 10th time in a row.

Clippers 122, at Denver 120