Los Angeles: Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a team high 19 points and nine rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 105-92 in a showdown between the two top Eastern Conference teams. The host Raptors rallied to cut the Bucks lead to six points when Antetokounmpo ran into foul trouble in the fourth quarter on Thursday. But the Bucks were able to pull away for the victory and take the season series with three wins in four meetings.
“It’s big for us but we’ve got to stay humble, keep working hard, keep working on our game and keep moving forward,” Antetokounmpo said. “We know we’re going to be back here eventually.” Khris Middleton added 18 points, and DJ Wilson had 16 points for first place Milwaukee, who won their eighth contest in the last nine. Eric Bledsoe tallied 14 points, Brook Lopez and Malcolm Brogdon had 11 each and George Hill added 10 for the Bucks.
“It was a great playoff atmosphere, a very good test for us,” Milwaukee centre Lopez said. The victory ensures the Bucks will have the best winning percentage in the East through February 3, meaning Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer will represent the conference at next month’s NBA all-star game.
“It’s a great honour,” Budenholzer said. “It says a lot about our team. The players are the ones who put the coaching staff in that position. I’m incredibly grateful to our entire roster.” Pascal Siakam scored 28 points for the Raptors, who dropped to 1-3 in their last four games. Kawhi Leonard added 16 points and eight rebounds. — AFP
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