Bucks fall behind early, then rally past Raptors

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points and 19 rebounds, Khris Middleton scored 22 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 108-97 on Tuesday night in a matchup between the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Eric Bledsoe scored 17 points, and Brook Lopez had 15 as the NBA-leading Bucks won their fifth straight and 18th of 20. Milwaukee (50-8) was playing the second game of a backto-back after winning in overtime at Washington on Monday.

Antetokounmpo finished with eight assists, narrowly missing a triple-double.

Behind by 12 points late in the second quarter, the Bucks rallied to beat the Raptors in their first game in Toronto since losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals last May, completing a disappointing collapse after winning the first two games of that series at home.

The Bucks beat the Raptors 115-105 when the teams met in Milwaukee on Nov. 2. They’ll face each other again in consecutive games on April 1 and 3.

Pascal Siakam scored 22 points, and Fred VanVleet had 14 as the defending NBA champion Raptors lost for the second time in 19 games. Toronto was beaten at home for the first time since Jan. 12 against San Antonio, ending a ninegame run.

It was a rough night for Raptors starters Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry. Ibaka made 2 of 15 shots, and Lowry shot 2 for 12. Ibaka went 1 for 10 from 3-point range while Lowry was 1 for 7.

Lowry, Terence Davis and Chris Boucher all scored 10 points for the Raptors.

Toronto trailed 84-71 to begin the fourth, but Davis scored five points as the Raptors closed the gap with a 7-0 spurt over the first 90 seconds of the final quarter.

VanVleet’s four-point play with 2:23 left cut it to 101-94, and the Raptors forced a steal on Milwaukee’s next possession but VanVleet missed a 3. Antetokounmpo hit a 3 at the other end, restoring the double-digit advantage.

Six of Toronto’s 10 field goals in the first quarter were 3-pointers, including a pair from Siakam. The Raptors led 27-25 after one.

GRANT SCORES CAREERBEST 29, NUGGETS BEAT PISTONS » Jerami Grant scored a career-high 29 points , and Nikola Jokic had a season-best four steals to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Detroit Pistons 115-98.

At 40-18, the Nuggets are tied for their best start through 58 games in their NBA franchise history. Nikola Jokic added 16 points for Denver. SCHRODER HELPS THUNDER TOP BULLS » Dennis Schroder scored 21 points and made a huge defensive play in the fourth quarter, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder top the Chicago Bulls 124-122 for its fourth consecutive win.

Oklahoma City blew a 24-point lead but recovered in time to earn its ninth straight victory on the road, breaking a team record. Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Chris Paul finished with 19 points and nine assists.

Chicago lost for the ninth time in 10 games. SABONIS SCORES 21 POINTS TO LEAD PACERS OVER HORNETS » Domantas Sabonis had 21 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 119-80 home victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

The (34-24) bounced back from a blowout in Toronto for a third win in four games.

Miles Bridges scored 17 points, and Caleb Martin had 11 for the Hornets (1938), who have lost two in a row after a stretch of three straight wins.

76ERS’ SIMMONS OUT AT LEAST 2 MORE WEEKS » Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons will miss at least two more weeks with nerve issues in his lower back.

The All-Star played just a few minutes in Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee before leaving with the back injury. He will undergo daily treatment for his nerve impingement and be evaluated in two weeks. GRIZZLIES ROOKIE BRANDON CLARKE OUT WITH INJURED QUADRICEPS » Memphis rookie forward Brandon Clarke hurt his right quadriceps and will be revaluated in two weeks.

Clarke left Monday night’s 124-97 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after playing only three minutes with what was called hip soreness. The Grizzlies said tests showed an injury to Clarke’s right quadriceps.