Quick start, strong finish get job done
The Milwaukee Bucks brought some positive vibes home from their West Coast trip.
The Bucks jumped on the Sacramento Kings from the start and then held on for a 109-104 victory on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
It was Milwaukee’s third straight victory after finishing a 3-1 road swing with wins in Portland and Sacramento.
The Bucks opened Saturday’s game on a 14-0 run, with half of the points coming from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Kings didn’t get their first bucket until Zach Randolph hit a jumper at the 7:44 mark of the first quarter.
Antetokounmpo finished the first quarter with 13 points, going 9 of 12 on free throws as he continually attacked the basket.
The Kings, who defeated the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, had eight turnovers in the opening quarter. Sacramento coach Dave Joerger was so upset with his starters that he made a five-player substitution after the first four miscues.
The Bucks were able to capitalize on the Kings’ mistakes and push the ball in transition. They had 13 fast-break points in the first half; Sacramento scored two.
Milwaukee was able to expand its lead to as many as 20 points in the third quarter.
But the Kings whittled the lead down to one with 1:43 remaining in the game before a hook by John Henson and five free throws by Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe gave the Bucks some breathing room.
Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds. Middleton added 25.
Bledsoe had 19 points, coming up just short in getting the Bucks three 20point scorers for the second straight game.
Randolph led the Kings with 22 points, often bulling his way to the basket against skinnier Bucks centers Henson and Thon Maker.
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
The Bucks recalled guard Sterling Brown and forward D.J. Wilson from the NBA G League’s Wisconsin Herd. Wilson scored 24 points in the Herd’s 116109 victory over the Iowa Wolves on Friday in Oshkosh. Brown added 14 points and nine rebounds.
❚ The Bucks are a season-best three games over .500.
❚ Middleton has scored 25 or more points in six games this season. The Bucks are 5-1 in those games. UP NEXT Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (12-9) at Boston Celtics (20-4)
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday
Where: TD Garden
About the Celtics: The Bucks make a quick trip to Boston to face the NBA’s best team before coming back to Milwaukee to play the Pistons on Wednesday. The Bucks and Celtics split the first two meetings of the season. The Bucks won, 108-100, on Oct. 18 in Milwaukee’s season opener behind 37 points from Antetokounmpo. The Celtics then spoiled the Bucks’ “Return to the MECCA” game with a 96-89 victory on Oct. 26 at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.