Streaking Bucks overcome 50-point showing from Ball

HIGHLIGHTS

The Bucks‘ Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, drives around the Hornets’ Cody Martin. Morry Gash/ The Associated Press

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The Associated Press

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 11 rebounds and Damian Lillard added 31 points to lead the Bucks past the Charlotte Hornets 125-119 in Milwaukee on Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Milwaukee opened the last quarter with a 14-5 spurt for a 110-90 lead, but the Hornets got it to 121-119 on Brandon Miller’s 3-pointer with 15 seconds left.

Taurean Prince answered with a pair of free throws for the Bucks to make it a two-possession game, and Charlotte missed a pair of 3-pointers on the ensuing possession. Antetokounmpo hit two free throws with 4.5 seconds left to make it 125-119.

LaMelo Ball had a career-high 50 points for the Hornets, and Brandon Miller added 32. Ball hit 17 of 38 shots, including 6 of 17 beyond the arc.

Milwaukee, which completed a 4-0 homestand, has won six of its last seven.

Charlotte’s Grant Williams left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury and did not return.

SPURS 104, WARRIORS 94: Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points, Harrison Barnes had 22 and the Spurs overcame a 17-point third-quarter deficit in San Antonio. Wembanyama added 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in his return from a three-game absence with a bruised right knee. San Antonio rookie Stephon Castle added 19 points and stole the dribble from Golden State’s Stephen Curry behind the 3-point line with 1:46 remaining to preserve an eight-point lead.

MAGIC 111, PISTONS 100: Franz Wagner had 30 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and host Orlando earned its eighth win in nine games. Wagner, who has scored 30 or more points in five of his last seven games, sat out the fourth quarter while the Magic’s bench stretched Orlando’s lead to 22 with 7:19 remaining. Mo Wagner had 18 points and seven rebounds off the Magic bench, and Jonathan Isaac added 5 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks. Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with 19 points and seven rebounds.

GRIZZLIES 142, BULLS 131:

Scotty Pippen Jr. had a career-best 30 points with 10 assists to lead Memphis in Chicago. Jaylen Wells added 26 points as Memphis won its second straight. Pippen, playing in the arena where his Hall of Fame father’s retired number hangs, had 26 points in the first three quarters for Memphis. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 23 points, and Santi Aldama added 10 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis, which outrebounded the Bulls 49-35.

JAZZ 121, KNICKS 106: Lauri Markkanen had 34 points, Collin Sexton had four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and host Utah snapped a four-game skid. Sexton finished 25 points and John Collins had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz. OG Anunoby scored a season-high 27 points, Jalen Brunson scored 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks.

TRAIL BLAZERS 104, ROCKETS 98: Anfernee Simons scored 25 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 24 as Portland bounced back from a tough loss with a win in Houston. The victory came after Portland was blown out 116-88 by the Rockets in an NBA Cup game Friday night.