Middleton fills in for Giannis with 51
Khris Middleton dedicated the best game of his career to Kobe Bryant.
Middleton scored a careerhigh 51 points, leading the Bucks to a 151131 victory over the Wizards in Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
Middleton, hoping to be chosen an AllStar reserve for the second straight year Thursday, helped the Bucks hold off a determined secondhalf Washington rally. Middleton also had 10 rebounds and six assists while hitting 16 of 26 shots and 7 of 10 3point tries, topping his previous career best of 43 points.
He said he was thinking a lot the past few days about Bryant, who was killed along with his 13yearold daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash Sunday.
“Kobe was one of my favorite players growing up besides (Michael) Jordan,” Middleton said. “I took a lot from his game. Everybody says Mamba mentality. To go out there and put on that type of performance, I definitely can dedicate that game to him as a thank you for what he did for the game.”
Milwaukee won its ninth straight game despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out with a right shoulder injury.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 47 points.
Celtics 109, Heat 101: Gordon Hayward had 29 points and nine rebounds, and visiting Boston led virtually the entire way. Jaylen Brown added 25 points for the Celtics. Goran Dragic led the Heat with 23 points.
Pelicans 125, Cavaliers 111: Zion Williamson scored 14 points, all inside, in an uneventful NBA road debut, helping New Orleans to the victory. Collin Sexton scored 24 for the Cavs, who have lost eight of nine.
Raptors 130, Hawks 114: Kyle Lowry had 12 points and 11 assists while becoming Toronto’s career assists leader, and the host Raptors earned their eighth straight win. John Collins had 28 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta.
Suns 133, Mavericks 104: Devin Booker scored 20 of his 32 points in the third quarter, Deandre Ayton had a season-high 31 points and visiting Phoenix did not trail. Luka Doncic scored 21 points for Dallas.
Grizzlies 104, Nuggets 96: Dillon Brooks scored 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 23 points and 12 rebounds, leading host Memphis to its third straight win. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had 25 points and and 13 rebounds.
Hornets 97, Knicks 92: Terry Rozier had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and host Charlotte snapped an eightgame losing streak. Julius Randle scored 24 points for New York.
Clippers-Lakers, postponed: The NBA put off the game after the deaths of Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash. It will be rescheduled for a later date.
Briefly: Dallas center Dwight Powell, a Stanford alum, underwent surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon. ... All-Star guard Victor Oladipo expects to make his long-anticipated season debut Wednesday when the Pacers host Chicago. He ruptured a quad tendon during a game last January.