Siakam gets second career triple-double
Leads Raptors past defending champs
MILWAUKEE — Pascal Siakam, a New Mexico State alumnus, had 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his second career triple-double and the Toronto Raptors overcame an early 15-point deficit to beat the cold-shooting Milwaukee Bucks 103-96 on Saturday night.
OG Anunoby added 24 points to help the Raptors improve to 3-0 this season against the defending champion Bucks, who shot a season low 33.8%. Toronto has won five straight in the series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 30 points, making all 17 of his free throws but going 6 of 17 from the field. He didn’t play in the previous two games with Toronto this season, with the Raptors winning 97-93 in Toronto on Dec. 2 and 117-111 in Milwaukee on Jan. 5.
Fred VanVleet added 17 points for Toronto, Chris Boucher had 15, and Preston Achiuwa finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Grayson Allen had 18 points for Bucks, and Khris Middleton added 16.
After spending two minutes on the bench with five fouls, Siakam returned with 6:46 left in a tie game and made a jumper 21 seconds later. After Antetokounmpo tied it again with two free throws, Siakam hit a corner 3-pointer in front of the Bucks’ bench with 5:53 left to put the Raptors back in front for good.
The Bucks took a 16-2 lead in the first four minutes and the Raptors missed 11 of their first 12 shots. Milwaukee extended the lead to 22-7.
Toronto chipped away at the deficit and tied it on OG Anunoby’s free throws with 45 seconds left in the half. Pat Connaughton made a 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds left to give the Bucks a 49-46 halftime lead.
The Raptors took their first lead at 53-52 on Siakam’s 11-foot jumper with 9:19 left in the third quarter. Preston Achiuwa followed with a layup that capped a 9-0 spurt for Toronto.
Milwaukee tied it twice later in the third quarter and three more times in the first six minutes of the fourth period, but Toronto responded and regained the lead each of those instances.
The Bucks were missing guard Jrue Holiday for a fifth straight game as he deals with a sore left ankle.
TRAIL BLAZERS 115, WIZARDS 110: In Washington, Anfernee Simons scored 31 points and tied a career high with 11 assists, Jusuf Nurkic had 23 points and 14 rebounds and Portland beat Washington.
Washington (22-21) had its three-game winning streak snapped despite Spencer Dinwiddie’s 27 points. Kyle Kuzma added 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Simons, who missed Thursday’s loss at Denver to attend his grandfather’s funeral, had 26 points in the first half, including seven 3-pointers.
Nassir Little had 18 points and Robert Covington added 15 for Portland (17-25). The Trail Blazers led by 16 with 6:55 to play, but Washington cut the lead to 112-108 on Dinwiddie’s 3-pointer with 27 seconds left.
The Wizards played without leading scorer Bradley Beal for the third straight game, as well as coach Wes Unseld Jr., who are both in health and safety protocols. NETS 120, PELICANS 105: In New York, James Harden had 27 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds and Brooklyn cruised to a victory over New Orleans despite losing standout Kevin Durant in the first half to a left knee sprain.
Durant was hurt with 5:44 left in the second quarter when New Orleans forward Herbert Jones was driving down the court and crashed into Nets backup guard Bruce Brown, who fell backward into Durant’s knee.
Durant brief ly limped around the court before asking to be taken out of the game.
He finished with the 12 points and was walking with a limp when he left the arena midway through the fourth quarter. Coach Steve Nash said Durant will have an MRI exam Sunday.