Bucks top Heat, lock up top spot in Eastern Conference
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton scored 33 points each, and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame a huge early deficit to get a 130-116 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Heat led by as many as 23 points in a first half where the team piled up 73 points despite playing without Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic. Miami cooled off after the break and the Bucks took the lead in the third quarter but were down by 6 to start the fourth in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Antetokounmpo sat out about five minutes of the fourth quarter after collecting his fifth foul with 11 minutes to go. Milwaukee trailed by 1 with about five minutes remaining before using a 20-0 run, with three dunks from Antetokounmpo, to make it 130-111 with less than a minute to go and cruise to the victory.
Antetokounmpo and Middleton played 30 and 34 minutes respectively after the stars both sat out the entire second half of their last game on Tuesday.
Butler missed his second straight game with a sore right ankle.
CLIPPERS 126, MAVERICKS 111 >> Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks. Paul George scored 24 points and Ivica Zubac added 24 points on 10-for-10 shooting and 15 rebounds for the Clippers, who strengthened their hold on the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings.
SUNS 114, PACERS 99 >> Deandre Ayton had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns continued their improbable run in the NBA bubble, beating Indiana for their fourth straight win.
The win pulls the Suns out of the basement in the Western Conference among the teams in Orlando, passing Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.
KINGS 140, PELICANS 125 >>
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored a career-high 35 points to help the Sacramento Kings beat the New Orleans Pelicans. De’Aaron Fox had 30 points and 10 assists, and Harrison Barnes added 22 points for the Kings, who got their first win in four tries since the restart.
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored 24 points for the Pelicans.
The Kings pulled even with the Pelicans in the standings and now are 21/2 games behind eighth-place Memphis with four games remaining. A team needs to be in ninth place and within four games of the eighth-place team to force a playoff.
76ERS’ SIMMONS DISLOCATES LEFT KNEECAP >>
Philadelphia 76ers guard/ forward Ben Simmons suffered a partially dislocated left kneecap during Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards, the team announced. Doctors have not yet determined how long Simmons will be sidelined. Treatment options are still being considered.
Asked if Simmons would miss the rest of the season, Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said, “Some of the information is fluid. It’s just that the stuff is still being evaluated.”