Milwaukee opens with win, nears No. 1 seed
Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared on his way out of the game. Moments later, he was instead on his way to the foul line.
A replay overturned what would have been the NBA’s MVP sixth foul with 1:28 left and he made the most of his second chance, helping the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics, 119-112, Friday night in Orlando, Fla.
Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists in the Bucks’ first game in the restart. Milwaukee improved the NBA’s best record to 54-12 and moved within a victory of clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year.
It appeared the Bucks would have to do it without the Greek Freak when Marcus Smart slid in front of a driving Antetokounmpo as he scored in the lane. A charge was called but eventually overturned.
“Quite frankly, I think we know all what that was all about. Giannis’ sixth foul and they didn’t want to get him out,” Smart said. “Let’s just call that spade a spade and that’s just what it is.”
Middleton added 18 points for the Bucks, who played without Eric Bledsoe and Pat Connaughton while they work on their conditioning after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Smart scored 23 points for the Celtics and Jaylen Brown had 22, but star forward Jayson Tatum had a nightmarish restart. He had five points on 2for-18 shooting — though he actually only made one basket.
Magic
Jonathan Isaac stood, and stood out. Isaac became the first player during the restarted NBA season to not kneel for the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” opting to stand as the prerecorded song blared through the arena at Walt Disney World before his Orlando Magic faced the Brooklyn Nets.
“I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a T-shirt, for me personally, is the answer,” Isaac said.
Isaac’s decision was not a surprise to his teammates; he revealed it in a team meeting earlier in the week.
“That’s a personal decision,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said. “We’re all supporting each other in this. And if guys are not comfortable kneeling and they want to stand, nobody has a problem with that. I support him. His
teammates support him. The organization supports him. That’s part of living in our country.”
Trail Blazers
CJ McCollum scored 33 points, teaming with Damian Lillard for 11 of Portland’s 16 in overtime, and the Trail Blazers pulled out a desperately needed victory to resume their season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies, 140135.
Lillard finished with 29 points and 9 assists as the Trail Blazers boosted their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2½ games of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis.