San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Middleton leads Bucks to win while Antetokounmpo rests
Khris Middleton scored 34 points and Jrue Holiday added 26 to lead the Bucks to a 133127 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night in Milwaukee, making up for the absence of teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo sat out with right knee soreness one night after scoring 30 points in a defensive struggle against the Chicago Bulls. The Bucks won their third straight game and second in two nights, this time in a more free-flowing contest.
Middleton sank a clutch 3-pointer with 1:09 left after the Kings, who trailed by as many as 15 points, rallied within three points. After Harrison Barnes converted a layup for the Kings, Holiday split the defense and threw down a left-handed dunk to give the Bucks a 126-120 lead with 47.6 seconds remaining.
The Bucks closed out the game by sinking seven free throws, including four by Middleton.
Donte DiVincenzo added 20 points while George Hill had 17 and Pat Connaughton 15 for Milwaukee. The Bucks made 21 of 42 3-point attempts one night after shooting 19.4% from behind the arc.
Barnes paced Sacramento with 29 points as the Kings shot 52.6% from the field (51for-97). Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points and Terence Davis II added 22.
Middleton scored 17 points in leading the Bucks to a 62-54 halftime lead. Milwaukee sank 10 of 20 attempts from 3-point range and shot 48.9% overall (23-for-47) in the half.
Sacramento led by 12 points late in the first quarter but Milwaukee outscored the Kings 35-19 in the second quarter.
DiVincenzo is starting to show signs of his old self after a long layoff following left ankle surgery. He entered Saturday shooting 21% from the field (12-for-57) and 25% from 3-point range (10-for-40) in nine games.
But his rebounding and hustle plays have impressed Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.
“He’s very early in his return to play and we see somebody who is making winning plays,” Budenholzer said. “He’s so athletic, so competitive.
He flies around. And the skill stuff, the shooting and other things like that will take a little bit of time. We’re just so excited he’s back and he’s healthy.”
The former Villanova star found his shooting stroke against the Kings, making 6 of 10 shots from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range while playing 24 minutes.
Cavaliers 94, Thunder 87: Darius Garland had 23 points and 11 assists, Evan Mobley scored 15 with 17 rebounds, and Cleveland held off visiting Oklahoma City.
Medical report: Chicago guard Alex Caruso is expected to be out for at least six weeks because of a broken wrist suffered when he was fouled by Milwaukee’s Grayson Allen on Friday. Allen, who was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected, hit Caruso as he was in the air and flung him to the floor . ... Lakers forward Anthony Davis, who has been recovering from a sprained left knee ligament, has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game in Miami and will be a game-time decision, the team said. Davis has missed 16 games since suffering the injury Dec. 17 at Minnesota . ... Washington head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced on Twitter.