BUCKS GET BACK ON TRACK WITH WIN OVER KNICKS

MILWAUKEE» Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, outmuscling the Knicks in the lane to help the Bucks hold on for a 120-112 victory Friday night.

Khris Middleton had a gamehigh 30 points for the Bucks, who got a head start on their fourth-quarter surge when Antetokounmpo rejected Emmanuel Mudiay’s attempted layup before the third-quarter buzzer to preserve a 91-89 lead.

The Bucks took control with a 19-7 run over a six-minute stretch of the fourth to build a 16-point lead that withstood a late run by the Knicks. Antetokounmpo wheeled his way past defenders to get to the foul line, while Middleton provided balance from the perimeter after his 3 with 5:03 left gave Milwaukee a 112-96 advantage.

New York, which finished a winless four-game road trip, has lost 14 of its last 15 games.

FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Jae Crowder scored a seasonhigh 22 points and the Jazz won its fifth straight with a 95-78 victory over the Grizzlies, who have lost 16 in a row. Joe Ingles added 16 points for Utah, while Ricky Rubio had 15 points and 10 rebounds. … Otto Porter Jr. scored 19 points and the Wizards cruised to a 116-97 victory over the Pelicans, who couldn’t overcome the absence of all-star Anthony Davis and saw their 10-game winning streak snapped. Markieff Morris scored 17 and Bradley Beal added 16 for the Wizards, who led by as many as 27 points en route to their second straight victory. … Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points, Cory Joseph scored 10 of his 18 points in the opening quarter, and the Pacers were never seriously threatened in a 112-87 rout of the Hawks. Two days after a lackluster 20-point home loss to Utah, the Pacers looked refreshed, shooting 67 percent in the first quarter. Joseph, starting for point guard Darren Collison, hit two of the team’s five 3pointers to help build a 34-15 lead after 12 minutes. … Blake Griffin had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Pistons ended a four-game losing streak with a 99-83 victory over the Bulls. The Pistons (3036) had lost 10-of-12 to fall five games out of the final Eastern Conference playoff slot. Reggie Bullock added 21 points, while Andre Drummond grabbed 17 rebounds.

FOOTNOTE Hornets lose Carter-Williams.

Hornets point guard Michael Carter-Williams needs surgery on his left shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season.