LOS ANGELES, March 2 — Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 41 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as Milwaukee notched another dominant NBA victory, a 93-85 triumph over the Hornets in Charlotte.
The Bucks pushed their league-leading record to 52-8 with their sixth straight win since the All-Star break.
Antetokounmpo said that was all that mattered as the teams’ streak of 100-point regular-season games ended at 83.
“I don’t think anybody cares about that,” he said of the triple-digit scoring streak that stretched back to February 23, 2019. “We as players just come in here and try to get a win.”
In this “old-school” victory, the Bucks never trailed in the second half, although their 15 turnovers in the first three quarters helped the Hornets keep it close and Charlotte trailed by just two entering the final quarter.
Antetokounmpo seized control in the waning minutes, putting the Bucks up 88-83 with a turnaround jump shot.
He then pulled down an offensive rebound, drew a foul and made two free throws drove for another layup and added another free throw as he scored the Bucks’ last seven points to seal the game.
Antetokounmpo, who handed out six assists, became the first Bucks player with a 40-20-5 stat line since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1974.
Remarkably, Antetokounmpo amassed the numbers in just 35 minutes on the court.
Brook Lopez added 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks — and enjoyed watching another outstanding all-around performance from Antetokounmpo, epitomized by his late jumper over the outstretched arms of Charlotte’s Miles Bridges.
“He puts the work in every single day,” Lopez said. “It’s great to see him go into the game, make those moves, shoot those shots with confidence.”
Later yesterday, the Western Conference leading Los Angeles Lakers tried to bounce back from a loss to the Grizzlies at Memphis when they took on rising star Zion Williamson and the Pelicans in New Orleans.
Lakers star LeBron James scored 19 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds against the Grizzlies on Saturday after missing a game with a sore left groin.
Clippers rally
The Los Angeles Clippers, locked in battle with Denver for second place in the West, rallied in the third quarter for a 111-91 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers got off to a hot start despite the injury absences of stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, leading by as many as 14 points on the way to a 39-34 first-quarter lead.
They were up by two at halftime, and it was knotted at 89-89 with 4:39 left in the third when the Clippers produced an 18-5 scoring run to take control.
Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points and Paul George added 24 as the Clippers notched their fourth straight win.
First-year guard Shake Milton led Philadelphia with 39 points, including seven three-pointers.
But with Simmons nursing a back injury and Embiid sidelined by a shoulder injury, the Sixers suffered another blow when guard Josh Richardson clashed heads with a teammate in the second quarter and exited the game.
Richardson suffered a bruised nose and is being checked for a possible concussion, the 76ers said.
The absence of Slovenian star Luka Doncic, who is nursing a sprained left thumb, didn’t slow the Dallas Mavericks in a 111-91 victory over the Timberwolves in Minnesota.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 38 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for Dallas and Seth Curry added 27 points on 11-for-17 shooting. — AFP
