Giannis, Bucks bounce back to topple league-best Celtics
MILWAUKEE — Facing the Nba-leading Boston Celtics got the Milwaukee Bucks to break out of their slump and deliver their most dominating performance of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to make sure the Bucks maintain that same sense of urgency when they’re playing less formidable foes.
“There was a respectslash-fear factor also that’s very important for this team, that we have to go out there and play at our best today,” Antetokounmpo said after the Bucks trounced the tired-looking Celtics 135-102 on Thursday for just their second win in six games.
Bobby Portis and Antetokounmpo combined to score 20 straight points during a 25-0 spurt midway through the first half. The Bucks led by as many as 43 points in Jrue Holiday’s return to Milwaukee, and their 75-38 lead at the break was their fourthbiggest halftime advantage in franchise history.
“Hopefully we can keep this up not just against the Boston Celtics, not just when we have two days off or not when we have not played well,” Antetokounmpo added. “Even if we’ve played well and even if we’ve played bad, be able to come in the game and play with the same urgency and with the same focus and with the same energy.”
The Bucks hadn’t played a game since losing 132-116 at home to the Utah Jazz on Monday in a game they’d trailed by 31 at halftime. The Celtics were back in action one night after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in overtime.
Bucks guard Malik Beasley said the Bucks had a meeting after the Jazz game on how to improve that focused mainly on playing with more effort and energy.
“I think we did that,” Beasley said. “We came out and competed. I think the main thing for us, we came out physical. We hit first instead of getting hit.”
Portis scored 28, Antetokounmpo added 24 and both players had 12 rebounds. Damian Lillard chipped in 21 points while returning to Milwaukee’s lineup after missing the Jazz game for personal reasons.
Thunder win by 62, tied atop West
Shai Gilgeous-alexander scored 31 points and Josh Giddey had a tripledouble as the host Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Portland Trail Blazers 139-77 on Thursday night, a 62-point victory that matched the fifthlargest rout in NBA history.
Oklahoma City shattered its previous record for victory margin of 45 points, set twice during the 2012-13 season. The Thunder moved into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the Western Conference at 26-11. The Thunder were on the wrong end of the NBA’S biggest blowout, losing by 73 to Memphis on Dec. 2, 2021.
Irvings, Mavericks stave off Knicks
Kyrie Irving scored 44 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 32 in his fifth start of the season as the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks, playing without superstar Luka Doncic and two other starters, held off a late charge to beat the visiting New York Knicks 128-124 on Thursday night.
After Irving had 20 in the third quarter, the Mavericks led 115-96 with 7:19 left in the game before the Knicks pulled within 121-120 with 1:08 to go on Donte Divicenzo’s 3-pointer.
Josh Green hit a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left for the last of his 18 points following three Dallas offensive rebounds for a 124-120 lead. Irving and Hardaway combined to sink four free throws in the final 11.1 seconds to seal the win.
Dallas native Julius Randle led the Knicks with 32 points. Jalen Brunson, playing in Dallas for the first time since leaving the Mavericks in free agency in July 2022, scored 30.
Beal scores 37 as Suns rout Lakers
Bradley Beal had a season-high 37 points, including eight 3-pointers, and Devin Booker added 31 as the Phoenix Suns routed the host Los Angeles Lakers 127-109 on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant added 18 points for the Suns, who broke a five-game losing streak to the Lakers. It was also Frank Vogel’s first victory over his former team. Vogel coached the Lakers for three seasons, including 2020, when they won the NBA title in the Walt Disney World bubble.
D’angelo Russell had 19 points off the bench as the Lakers fell to 5-11 since winning the NBA Inseason Tournament last month.