Antetokounmpo records triple-double, Bucks beat Cavs in Central showdown after Griffin firing
Thu, Jan 25, 2024
NBA News (AP)
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo had his third triple-double in his last four games and the Milwaukee Bucks responded to the firing of coach Adrian Griffin with a 126-116 victory Wednesday night that snapped the Cleveland Cavaliers' eight-game winning streak.
Antetokounmpo had 35 points, matched a season high with 18 rebounds and had 10 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season. Damian Lillard scored 28 points and Khris Middleton added 24 for the Bucks.
Griffin was fired Tuesday despite being 30-13 in his lone season as coach. Joe Prunty, an assistant on Griffin's staff, served as interim head coach Wednesday while the Bucks were finalizing negotiations with Doc Rivers to eventually take over.
Central Division-leading Milwaukee has the Eastern Conference's second-best record.
Donovan Mitchell had 23 points and Jarrett Allen added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavs, second in the Central Division at 26-16.. Georges Niang and Max Strus scored 14 points each, Sam Merrill 12 and Isaac Okoro 10.
WARRIORS 134, HAWKS 112
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Stephen Curry had 25 points and eight assists, Klay Thompson scored 24, and the Warriors won in their first game back after the death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic last week, beating the Hawks.
The Splash Brothers shined playing for their beloved "brate" - the word for brother in Serbian that Milojevic so lovingly used for all of the Warriors. Jonathan Kuminga made all 11 of his shots on the way to 25 points as seven Warriors scored in double figures.
In an emotional pregame ceremony, the two teams stood united on one sideline near their team benches and listened as the Serbian national anthem played in his honor. Each Warrior player then placed an extra jersey with Milojevic's name on the back worn during warmups on one of the coaching chairs, which also featured a special black T-shirt with the word "BRATE" draped over the seat.
SUNS 132, MAVERICKS 109
DALLAS (AP) - Devin Booker scored 22 of his 46 points in a decisive third quarter and Phoenix matched its longest winning streak of the season at seven games with a win over Dallas.
Kevin Durant had 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Suns opened a seven-game trip, their longest this season, by turning a 16-point deficit in the second quarter into a 22-point lead after outscoring Dallas 43-20 in the third.
Kyrie Irving was out for the Mavericks, who have lost four of five, after spraining his right thumb early in a loss to Boston two nights earlier.
Luka Doncic had 34 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, but didn't have much help from his Dallas teammates. The Suns got 20 points from Bradley Beal and 15 from Grayson Allen.
THUNDER 140, SPURS 114
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points and 10 assists, and the Thunder overcame 24 points and 12 rebounds from Victor Wembanyama to beat the Spurs.
Chet Holmgren had 17 points and nine rebounds as Oklahoma City won its fourth straight.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault attempted to downplay the matchup between two of the top contenders for Rookie of the Year in Wembanyama and Holmgren.
But it was difficult to ignore a pair of 7-footers with a unique set of skills.
In the end, Oklahoma City's balanced attack proved too much for San Antonio.
GRIZZLIES 105, HEAT 96
MIAMI (AP) - Vince Williams Jr. scored 25 points, GG Jackson added 17 off the bench and short-handed Memphis spoiled Terry Rozier's debut in Miami.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. each scored 15 for Memphis, which led for the entire second half. John Konchar had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies.
Tyler Herro scored 18 for Miami, which has dropped four straight for the second time this season. Bam Adebayo finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and six blocks for the Heat.
Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin also scored 15 apiece, and Rozier - acquired Tuesday in a trade with Charlotte - had nine on 3-for-11 shooting.
TIMBERWOLVES 118, WIZARDS 107
WASHINGTON (AP) - Anthony Edwards scored 38 points and Western Conference-leading Minnesota avoided its first three-game skid of the season, beating Washington.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Wolves. Minnesota was coming off a home loss to lowly Charlotte in which Towns scored 62 points.
Deni Avdija scored a season-high 24 points for the Wizards, who dropped their fifth straight, the fourth skid of at least that many games for the league's second-worst team. Washington has only one win this season over a team that came in with a winning record.
Marvin Bagley III had 17 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for the Wizards, and Kyle Kuzma added 17 points, 14 boards and eight assists.
TRAIL BLAZERS 137, ROCKETS 131, OT
HOUSTON (AP) - Anfernee Simons scored 33 points and Jerami Grant added 21 as Portland rallied to beat Houston.
Portland opened overtime with a 9-2 run, with five points from Malcolm Brogdon, to take a 133-126 lead and held on for the victory.
Brogdon had 19 points and Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who snapped a two-game skid.
Alperen Sengun had 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jalen Green scored 29 as the Rockets dropped a second straight game.
PISTONS 113, HORNETS 106
DETROIT (AP) - Bojan Bogdanovic scored 34 points and Jalen Duren's dunk in the final minute punctuated a late 10-2 run, helping Detroit beat Charlotte.
Bogdanovic hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 1:46 left. Duren finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Alec Burks scored 15 for Detroit, which snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the third time in 41 games.
Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 23 points, and Nick Richards added 21 points and 10 rebounds. LaMelo Ball scored 17 points on 6-for-21 shooting and 1-for-8 sniping from 3-point range. The Hornets were playing for the first time since trading Terry Rozier for Kyle Lowry and a draft pick. Rozier had led the team in points and assists.
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