Giannis, Bucks turn back Lakers in battle of league’s best
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 on Thursday night at home in a showdown of the NBA’s top teams.
Antetokounmpo had seven assists and a career-best five 3-pointers, and George Hill added 21 points off the bench for the Bucks. Milwaukee improved to 25- 4 after ending an 18-game winning streak against Dallas on Monday night.
James had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season, and Anthony Davis had 36 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles. The Lakers dropped to 24-5 largely because their bench was outscored 34- 4 by the Bucks’ reserves.
Milwaukee led by six after the first quarter then opened the second with a 20-7 run. Davis and James combined to shoot 6 for 20 in the first half, and the Lakers had 10 turnovers. The Bucks led 65- 46 at the break.
The Bucks improved to 3- 0 against the two teams from Los Angeles, including a dominant 119-91 win over the Clippers at home on Dec. 6.
The last time two teams that were 20 games over .500 played each other before Jan. 1 was 1980.
The Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma missed the game with a sore ankle. KOBE, DUNCAN, GARNETT LEAD NAISMITH HALL OF FAME NOMINEES » The nominees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class could build a team that’s almost impossible to beat, starting with Kobe Bryant,
Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
The list of 50 eligible candidates was announced, with other firsttime nominees including Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion, Michael Finley, Mark Eaton and Buck Williams.
The finalists for the honor will be announced on Feb. 14 in Chicago, during NBA All-Star Weekend. The Class of 2020 will be unveiled at the Final Four in Atlanta in early April.
Among the high- profile coaches on the list are NBA notables George Karl, Rick Adelman, Rudy Tomjanovich and Dick Motta, plus Eddie Sutton, Jay Wright, Rollie Massimino and Gene Keady from the college ranks.
Ex- Chicago Bulls forward Toni Kukoc is the biggest name among the international nominees. THUNDER PLAYERS UNHARMED DURING SHOOTING AT OKC MALL » Members of the Oklahoma City Thunder were unharmed during a shooting at an Oklahoma City shopping mall. The team was watching a private screening of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” when it was evacuated from a movie theater at the Penn Square Mall.
A Thunder spokesperson issued a statement: “Thunder security was made aware immediately. The team was never in any danger and was safe during the entirety of the event.” DONOVAN GOES FOR 30 AS JAZZ OUTLASTS HAWKS »
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, and the Utah Jazz beat the Atlanta Hawks 111-106 on the road. The Jazz won its fourth straight while handing the Hawks their sixth consecutive loss.