bucks 123, jazz 100

Damian Lillard scored 34 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 16 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a six-game skid, beating the Utah Jazz 123-100 on Thursday night.

Antetokounmpo was back in action after missing a 116-114 loss at Cleveland on Monday night because of a right adductor strain.

The Bucks hadn’t lost six straight games since March 2015. They avoided their first seven-game skid since March 2014, when they dropped eight in a row.

Jordan Clarkson had 18 off the bench to lead the Jazz.

Utah led 71-70 before the Bucks took command with a 17-1 run late in the third quarter. Lillard and Antetokounmpo combined to score Milwaukee’s first 15 points in that spurt.

Takeaways

Jazz: Utah entered the night ranked 27th in the NBA in 3-pointers per game (11.3) and 29th in 3-point percentage (30.3%), but the Jazz went 14 of 26 from beyond the arc in the first half to lead 61-57 at the break. They were 3 of 15 in the second half.

Bucks: Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers shuffled his lineup by giving Andre Jackson Jr. his first start of the season and moving Gary Trent Jr. to a bench role.

spurs 118, trail blazers 105

Keldon Johnson and Malaki Branham had 17 points each and the San Antonio Spurs beat Portland 118-105 on Thursday night in their fourth game without coach Gregg Popovich.

Popovich has been out since having a medical episode Saturday before a home game against Minnesota. Prior to the game Thursday, Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson said the team is unsure when Popovich will return.

Zach Collins and Julian Champagnie added 14 points each to help the Spurs snap a two-game skid. Victor Wembanyama had 12 points. Branham exited two minutes into the fourth quarter after rolling his right ankle.

Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Portland. Jerami Grant also had 21 points, and Anfernee Simons added 19.

Takeaways

Trail Blazers: Portland was 9 for 32 on 3-pointers. Simons was 3 for 9 on 3s, but the rest of the starting lineup was 3 for 12.

Spurs: San Antonio has struggled to find a consistent second scoring option behind Wembanyama, but that should change with the return of Devin Vassell. Vassell missed the first nine games following offseason surgery for a stress reaction of the third metatarsal head in his right foot.