BUCKS 113, MAGIC 110 Parker too overpowering
Forward finishes with a game-high 26 points
Staying cool was critical after the Milwaukee Bucks squandered a 14point lead and trailed by six in the fourth quarter to the Orlando Magic.
The young Bucks showed some poise as they rallied in the final minutes to claim a 113-110 victory over the Magic on Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
There were plenty of heroes for Milwaukee (32-44), which improved to 2-1 on its five-game home stand.
Take forward Jabari Parker, who scored the go-ahead basket on a short hook shot with 10.1 seconds left. Parker finished with a gamehigh 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting and added seven rebounds and five assists.
Or how about Giannis Antetokounmpo? The Greek Freak posted his fifth triple-double of the season with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
And second-year guard Tyler Ennis played the entire fourth quarter, making a key layup on a play called for him by coach Jason Kidd and adding the game-clinching free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining.
Khris Middleton stood firm and took a charge with the Bucks clinging to a one-point lead in the final seconds, setting up Ennis’ free throws. And center Greg Monroe grabbed an offensive rebound and won a jump ball, leading to Parker’s clutch basket.
“I had a lot of time on the clock,” Parker said. “Moose (Monroe) trusted me and made eye contact.
“I was just trying to make the right play. I had enough room to work towards my hook (shot).”
Orlando (32-44) had won three straight, including a 20-point blowout of Indiana on Thursday night. The Magic rallied in the fourth quarter behind the three-point shooting of Mario Hezonja (3 of 4) but faltered down the stretch.
Kidd was impressed with the play of the 21-year-old Parker, who played a team-high 41 minutes.
“I thought he was off the charts for us,” Kidd said. “Not just his of-
fense but his defense. Some of his finishes tonight we will see on the highlight film.
“When he got the tip, being able to not panic, not rush. He took his time. You can see his growth. He was in that position once before, and he threw it to the stands where he thought someone was there. But he has learned and he finished.”
The winning basket came with Magic center Nikola Vucevic defending Parker.
“I got switched on him after the (jump ball), and he made a good move,” Vucevic said. “I tried to stay with him but he got me with the up-and-under.”
Kidd trusted Ennis to be on the floor in a clutch situation and it paid off.
“I tried to make good plays,” Ennis said. “It’s big. Coach keeping me out there and running the play for me when it’s such a crucial time is big.
“Being out there and getting experience is great for me.”
Ennis’ driving layup on the play called for him gave the Bucks a 108-107 lead with 1:17 remaining, but Elfrid Payton scored to put the Magic in front again.
Ennis made 1 of 2 free throws and so did Vucevic, leaving the Bucks down one. But after Antetokounmpo missed on a drive, Monroe rebounded and was tied up by Evan Fournier. That led to Parker’s huge play.
“This was a game of runs,” Kidd said. “Khris’ play is probably going to go unnoticed because he got a charge, but that was a big play.
“He helped us win the game defensively. Somehow you’ve got to get a stop if you’re going to win games, and we got a stop.”
Middleton had 18 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists, while the center tandem of Monroe (18 points, six rebounds) and Miles Plumlee (12 points, two rebounds) was effective.
Vucevic came off the bench for the second straight night and led the Magic with 22 points while Victor Oladipo added 18. Former Bucks guard Brandon Jennings had seven assists off the bench but did not score and made four of the Magic’s 22 turnovers.
“We made a couple of bad decisions,” Magic coach Scott Skiles said. “When you have a lead like that, obviously if you shut them out the rest of the game, they can’t win. We weren’t able to get stops, and we weren’t able to make enough plays to win the game.”