By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
After combining for 89 points in two losses, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 118-109 victory over the Chicago Bulls with another strong performance.
He finished the game with 35 points and 11 rebounds, contributing 14 points in the last period. The Bucks had an impressive first quarter, ending with a buzzer-beater from Giannis for a 35-18 lead after 12 minutes.
“He was phenomenal the whole game. We needed him down the stretch, and he kind of took things into his own hands,” Bucks coach Adrian Griffin praised Antetokounmpo.
However, his new teammate Damian Lillard had a challenging game, scoring just 12 points and five assists on 3-17 shooting from the field. Lillard is currently experiencing career lows in assists (4.8), field goal percentage (37%), and three-point shooting percentage (26%).
Nikola Vucevic led the Chicago Bulls in their loss with an impressive performance, scoring 26 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out five assists.
In another game, the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 114-98, with Kristaps Porzingis scoring 21 points and adding six rebounds. The Sacramento Kings secured a 132-120 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Domantas Sabonis nearly achieved a triple-double with 23 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
Former EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov also had a solid outing, with 11 points in 17 minutes, and 3/5 from beyond the arc.
NBA results:
Boston – New York 114-98 (Porzingis 21p, 6r – Hartenstein 3p, 3r)
Toronto – Washington 111-107 (Poeltl 13p, 6r, 5as, Schroder 4p, 6as – Coulibaly 10p, 7r, Avdija 9p, 8r, 6as)
Milwaukee – Chicago 118-109 (Giannis 35p, 11r – Vucevic 26p, 12r)
Sacramento – Cleveland 132-120 (Sabonis 23p, 9r, 10as, Vezenkov 11p, Len 2p)
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia 76ers 8-1
2. Boston Celtics 8-2
3. Indiana Pacers 6-4
4. Miami Heat 6-4
5. Milwaukee Bucks 6-4
6. Atlanta Hawks 5-4
7. Orlando Magic 5-4
8. New York Knicks 5-5
9. Toronto Raptors 5-5
10. Brooklyn Nets 5-5
11. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-6
12. Chicago Bulls 4-7
13. Charlotte Hornets 3-5
14. Washington Wizards 2-8
15. Detroit Pistons 2-9
Western Conference
1. Denver Nuggets 8-2
2. Dallas Mavericks 8-2
3. Minnesota Timberwolves 7-2
4. Houston Rockets 6-3
5. Oklahoma City Thunder 6-4
6. Sacramento Kings 5-4
7. Golden State Warriors 6-5
8. Los Angeles Lakers 5-5
9. Phoenix Suns 4-6
10. New Orleans Pelicans 4-6
11. Los Angeles Clippers 3-6
12. Portland Trail Blazers 3-6
13. San Antonio Spurs 3-7
14. Utah Jazz 3-7
15. Memphis Grizzlies 2-8
-Teams ranking first through sixth advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh through tenth compete in the Play-Ins