Milwaukee star fighting mad after OT loss to Knicks

In one locker room, the New York Knicks spoke about the fight they displayed over 53 minutes against the NBA’s highest scoring team.

Down the hallway, the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo was fighting mad.

“One thing about our team is that we’re always going to fight,” Emmanuel Mudiay said after he scored 28 points to lead the Knicks to a 136-134 overtime win over Milwaukee on Saturday.

“We don’t play the scoreboard. That’s the one thing coach (David Fizdale) always preaches.”

Rookie forward Kevin Knox scored a career-high 26 points as New York snapped a two-game losing streak. Damyean Dotson and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points each. Noah Vonleh contributed 15 points.

“It was good to see the ball go in the net,” said Knox, who had been the subject of criticism for his play. “It felt good. Just (have) to keep working (and) never get too high, never get too low.”

While the Knicks were reveling in one of their most satisfying wins of the season, Antetokounmpo was vowing vengeance for an act he preserved as disrespect.

Antetokounmpo was angry at Knicks forward Mario Hezonja, who early in the first quarter dunked on the Milwaukee star, then stared and stepped over him much to the delight of the Madison Square Garden crowd.

“I’m going to punch him in the (groin) next time,” said Antetokounmpo, who had 33 points and 19 rebounds. The teams next meet Christmas Day in New York.

Hezonja, who was unaware of Antetokounmpo’s words, did note the crowd reaction to his only bucket of the game.

“Honestly, if you’re afraid, this is not for you,” Hezonja said. “I don’t want to be disrespectful but if you feel fear, this is not the place for you. New York is not a place for you and this team is not a place for you.”

Eric Bledsoe added 27 points for Milwaukee, which has lost three of its last five.

RAPTORS 106, CAVALIERS 95 >> Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points, Fred VanVleet added 15 and Toronto won its eighth straight game despite missing All-Star guard Kyle Lowry. Lowry missed his first game this season with an unspecified back injury. Raptors coach Nick Nurse didn’t provide any details about Lowry’s back other than to say it flared up earlier in the day. KINGS 111, PACERS 110 >> Willie Cauley-Stein scored on a putback dunk with 16.1 seconds left to lift Sacramento over Indiana. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 20 points, and Cauley-Stein finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds to help the Kings end a four-game losing streak to the Pacers.

Both teams exchanged leads throughout the game until Sacramento closed the fourth quarter on an 8-3 run capped by CauleyStein’s dunk.

ROCKETS 121, BULLS 105 >> James Harden made six 3-pointers and scored 30 points to help Houston beat Chicago. Clint Capela added 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Chris Paul had 12 points and tied a season high with 13 assists.

CELTICS 118, TIMBERWOLVES 109 >> Gordon Hayward had a season-high 30 points and added nine rebounds and eight assists, helping Boston win its third straight. Hayward scored 11 of Boston’s final 15 points.

WIZARDS 102, NETS 88 >> John Wall scored 30 points, Bradley Beal added 22, and Washington handed Brooklyn its sixth straight loss.