Giannis, Bucks wear down lowly Magic in 110-103 win

By GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- With a lineup full of long, athletic players, the Milwaukee Bucks can make up for poor nights from the 3-point line by wearing down opponents in transition.

They ran away from Orlando on Wednesday night once they figured out how to slow down the lowly Magic.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, Khris Middleton added 22 and the Bucks turned up their defensive intensity after a porous first quarter for a 110-103 win on Wednesday night.

John Henson picked up his fifth double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who handed the Magic their sixth straight loss and 15th in their last 16.

"Our defense is our biggest thing right now so we can get out on transition," guard Eric Bledsoe said. "I thought we got a lot of easy buckets in transition - that's our game."

Antetokounmpo was a matchup problem all night around the rim. His play helped make up for the Bucks' poor night from beyond the arc, where they were 4 of 19 (21 percent).

The 6-foot-11 forward backed down Aaron Gordon in the post, then used a spin move to drive for a layup on a three-point play for a 66-57 lead with 7:55 left in the third.

After an empty Orlando possession, Antetokounmpo took a feed along the baseline from Bledsoe for an uncontested dunk. The Magic called timeout but it did not help.

"In the third quarter, the starting group did a really good job of taking control of the game," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said.

Leading by 20 to start the fourth quarter, Kidd was able to get some rest for Antetokounmpo and Bledsoe (15 points) with the Golden State Warriors visiting Milwaukee on Friday night.

Evan Fournier had 21 points to lead Orlando, which cut the deficit to single digits during the closing minutes with reserves on the floor.

Gordon had 11 points but was just 4 of 18 from the field in 30 minutes, including a stretch of 12 straight missed shots in the second and third quarters. He was averaging 24.8 points over his previous five games.

After shooting 50 percent in the first quarter, Orlando tailed off to 32 percent (15 of 46) in the second and third quarters combined.

"I think we're fighting. I think we're playing hard," coach Frank Vogel said. "We're just not a very good basketball team right now. We got to fight and execute."

TIP-INS

Magic: A stretch of losing has led to questions from some fans about whether Orlando should be tanking for a high draft pick. Vogel wants no part of that discussion. "That's not a word I digest. I'm trying to build a winning culture, winning habits. And that's my only focus," Vogel said before the game.

Bucks: F Jabari Parker is on target to return from a left knee injury the week before the All-Star break. Kidd said Parker was doing great and is about a month away from playing. ... Henson had an active night , including eight points and eight rebounds to help the Bucks take a seven-point halftime lead.

OUT OF THE PAINT

Middleton said the Bucks made a concerted effort to keep the Magic out of the lane after the first quarter, forcing them to take contested jumpers. Gordon didn't have his outside shot to make up for his lack of production inside.

"I mean, they've got a long defense," Gordon said. "They don't make it easy for you to score at the rim. My outside shot definitely was not falling tonight."

NO SHOT

The Magic also had a tough night from 3-point range, shooting 2 of 13 (15 percent) in the first half. They finished 8 of 29 (27 percent), including 4 of 8 by Marreese Speights (14 points).

QUOTABLE

"Energy-wise, it was a 10. Sharing the ball, getting stops ... I thought they did a great job." - Kidd.

UP NEXT

Magic: Wrap up a three-game trip with a visit to the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Bucks: Reach the midpoint of the season by hosting Golden State on Friday.

Cousins powers Pelicans past Bucks

NEW ORLEANS -- DeMarcus Cousins plays basketball in bold, broad strokes, perhaps because subtlety in the NBA usually is reserved for chumps.

The maddeningly talented New Orleans Pelicans center showed his entire yin-and-yang arsenal Wednesday night in a 115-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Smoothie King Center.

He scored a team-high 26 points -- including a 3-pointer from the left wing that sealed the game with 22 seconds left -- grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out seven assists and, not surprisingly, committed nine turnovers.

After finishing one turnover shy of a triple-double, Cousins said decision-making is something he is trying to work on. Cousins was a big reason the Pelicans were able to overcome 21 turnovers against Milwaukee, almost half of which he committed.

"I'm the main culprit of that," said Cousins, who is averaging 5.1 turnovers a game, most in the league next to Russell Westbrook's 4.7. "It just shows how good we could be if we just cut down half our turnovers. Just got to take care of the ball better, make better decisions. I definitely have to make better decisions with the ball. I take full responsibility for the high amount of turnovers."

With the bad comes a lot of good.

Cousins scored nine points in the final 8:12, a key reason the Pelicans (15-14) outscored the Bucks 28-14 in the final 10 minutes to win going away.

Cousins made another key play when he rebounded a missed 3-point attempt by teammate Jameer Nelson and one-handed the ball for a tomahawk dunk, putting the Pelicans up 106-101 with 4:20 left.

"I saw that Jameer was going to miss," Cousins said while laughing. "Something just told me to keep going. When it left his hand, it didn't look too good. I'm not the guy who's (normally) soaring above the rim, but the opportunity kind of presented itself, and I took advantage of that."

New Orleans' Anthony Davis, coming back from a left adductor strain that sidelined him for one game, added 25 points and 10 rebounds, and guard E'Twaun Moore continued his torrid outside shooting, making 4 of 6 from 3-point range to finish with 21 points.

Milwaukee (15-11) got a game-high 32 points and nine rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo -- his 12th 30-point-plus game of the season. However, the NBA's second-leading scorer was held to 11 points in the second half on 3-of-9 shooting.

"I thought we did a much better job of pulling in and taking away driving lanes," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "(Antetokounmpo) likes to drive the ball and then spin. We took that away from him. And then I thought AD did a great job against him, getting into him and being a little more physical with him and making him a jump shooter. We kept him out of the lane."

The Pelicans trailed 94-87 early in the fourth quarter after Milwaukee scored the first nine points of the period, but New Orleans outscored the Bucks 28-14 in the final 10 minutes. After using a 12-4 run to pull back in front 99-98 with 7:01 left, the Pelicans began to pull away, scoring nine of the next 12 points, with Cousins highlighting the 21-7 run with his one-hand rebound of Nelson's miss for the thunderous dunk.

Cousins followed up by feeding Holiday for a layup to put New Orleans up 108-101 with 3:39 left. The Pelicans made 13 of 25 3-point attempts, in part because of excellent movement (35 assists on 45 made field goals).

"We knew coming in they were going to shoot a lot of threes," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. "We didn't do a very good job of taking that away. We didn't guard the 3-point line in the fourth quarter."

"I think they hit threes," Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon said. "Threes have been our killer for the last two years. They made threes down the stretch, and we didn't contest them. That hurts and that wins games."

NOTES: New Orleans G Darius Miller (3 of 5) has made multiple 3-pointers in 13 of his past 16 games. ... Milwaukee C Giannis Antetokounmpo has scored at least 30 points in 12 of 26 games this season. ... The Bucks have scored at least 100 points in 10 consecutive games, but they lost for only the third time in that stretch. ... Pelicans C DeMarcus Cousins had an ugly end of the first half. With the Pelicans milking the final seconds on the clock, holding a 62-61 lead, Cousins turned the ball over at the top the key and the fouled John Henson with one second left. Henson made two free throws for a 63-61 Milwaukee lead. In the second half, Cousins got into a shouting match with a fan sitting at courtside. "He was very disrespectful," Cousins said. "And he was a New Orleans fan."

Celtics KO Bucks behind 32 points from Irving

BOSTON -- Al Horford says his Boston Celtics have come a long way from the night they fell to 0-2 with a home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

However, even at 21-4 overall, with three straight wins, there's work to be done.

"That opening game here for us was very emotional, with all the Gordon (Hayward injury) stuff going on, after a tough loss in Cleveland, it was just a lot," Horford said after helping the Celtics to a 111-100 victory over the Bucks on Monday night.

"They got the best of us that night, and I felt like as a group we've grown tremendously in very little time and I feel like we have a lot more to do -- a lot more growing to do."

Kyrie Irving scored 32 points and the Celtics overcame 40 points by Giannis Antetokounmpo in the latest win.

Horford, playing another strong all-around game, fought off second-half foul trouble and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the win.

During this new winning streak, which followed a loss to the Detroit Pistons in the opener of a five-game homestand, Horford is averaging 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and eight assists. Irving is averaging 29 points in the three victories.

"When you've got guys who are willing to be as selfless as we are, then it makes everything in terms of our system work," Irving said of he and Horford. "Me and Al, we're pretty selfless guys, but we understand when we've got to make our mark in the game and if we do that, whatever's needed we do."

Horford was a plus-21 in 34:40. He picked up his fourth foul with 7:32 left in the third quarter and never did get a fifth.

Horford became the first Celtic since Larry Bird in 1984 to produce 20-plus points, nine-plus rebounds, eight-plus assists and 80 percent-plus shooting from the floor (he was 8-for-10) in a game.

Irving and Horford combined for 36 points after halftime, allowing Boston to overcome another big night by the Greek Freak.

"I feel like I'm just stating the obvious about (Irving) and Giannis. They're good," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

Boston rookie Jayson Tatum hit four consecutive 3-pointers and scored 14 of his 17 in the first quarter.

"They were actually baiting him to shoot the ball and he just wasn't hesitating," Horford said. "It was just a lot of fun to see him have some success there early and I felt like because of those threes he kind of opened the game up for the rest of us."

The Bucks, who had one home game after a western trip and then came to Boston, were sluggish in the first half but had something left to make the game interesting after the break.

"It's tough to win here but they gave themselves in the fourth quarter an opportunity and we just couldn't get over the hump," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. "The first half we were awful."

Said Antetokounmpo, "They just played harder than us, but at the end of the day, I thought our effort was good."

Aron Baynes had 10 points in the win, while Jaylen Brown got in early foul trouble but finished with eight points and seven rebounds in 22:58 for Boston.

Irving, who shot 13-for-24 from the floor, had 19 points in the second half, including five in a row after his team was up by seven with 90 seconds remaining. He also contributed four rebounds and a pair of steals.

The Celtics, who took the lead for good at 7-6 and led by as many as 20 points, have been on fire shooting the ball. This was their fifth straight game shooting better than 50 percent from the floor, and they have six in a row with at least 10 3-pointers while going better than 40 percent from behind the arc in those game.

They have won 11 of their past 12 at home and 21 of their past 23 games overall.

Boston ran up a whopping 45-28 rebounding advantage.

Antetokounmpo, delivering his third straight 30-point game, was 14-for-24 from the floor and 12-for-14 from the foul line. He also had nine rebounds, four assists and four turnovers. Most of his baskets came driving to the basket, his outside shot a struggle.

Khris Middleton scored 19 points, Eric Bledsoe 18, Tony Snell 11 and Malcolm Brogdon 10 in the loss.

The Bucks fought back from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to get within seven. They could get no closer as the Celtics won the season series 2-1.

Milwaukee (12-10) lost for the second time in its past seven games.

NOTES: Boston G Kyrie Irving said he could shed the mask protecting a slight facial fracture as early as Saturday. ... The Celtics were the first team in the NBA to reach 20 wins, accomplishing the feat for the 15th time in their storied history. They reached the NBA Finals in 13 of the previous 14. ... It was Greek Heritage Night at TD Garden, fitting with F Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, in town. He received a huge ovation in pregame introductions. ... The Bucks play at Detroit and the Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Beal scores 23 as Wizards beat Bucks 99-88

By ANDREW GRUMAN
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Despite playing on back-to-back days for the first time this season and having two starters banged up, the Washington Wizards were better in the second half than their rested opponent Monday night.

Bradley Beal scored 23 points, John Wall returned from a one-game absence and the Wizards pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 99-88 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

“Defensively, we locked into the game plan,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “We were aggressive, we were physical. We played with an IQ. We made them take the shots that we wanted them to take.”

Beal helped the Wizards separate from the Bucks with a personal 7-0 run late in the third quarter. Washington then outscored Milwaukee 13-4 to start the fourth, building an 86-70 advantage.

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Wizards, who lost 100-91 to Toronto on Sunday with Wall out of the lineup.

Milwaukee has lost two consecutive games to fall back to .500 at 8-8 after rattling off a four-game winning streak following the trade for Eric Bledsoe.

The Bucks had scored at least 90 points in 13 of their first 14 games but managed just 79 in a loss to Dallas on Sunday and 88 against the Wizards. Both opponents were playing on the second day of a back-to-back while the Bucks were rested.

“We know that we’re a better team than how we’ve played,” said acting head coach Joe Prunty, who filled in for Jason Kidd.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points off the bench for the Wizards, and Wall scored 15 after missing a game with knee pain. Otto Porter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Marcin Gortat finished with 10 points with 15 rebounds.

Washington led 27-19 after the first quarter, but Milwaukee used a 10-0 run capped by Giannis Antetokounmpo blocking a shot attempt by Wall and finishing on the other end to take 41-39 lead with 3:07 left in the half.

After trailing 47-46 at halftime, the Bucks led 55-50 before the Wizards scored eight straight points to take the lead back for good.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 23 points but was 8 for 21 from the field.

“(Giannis) is playing like an MVP,” Brooks said. “Hard player to stop. You try different guys on him so that he doesn’t get a consistent feel with the same player.”

The Bucks went just 4 of 22 from beyond the arc and missed 20 shots in the paint.

TIP-INS

Wizards: Beal became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 700 made 3-pointers. ... Washington held a 46-33 rebounding advantage and outscored Milwaukee 15-2 on second-chance points.

Bucks: Matthew Dellavedova (left knee tendinitis) and Mirza Teletovic (left knee soreness) each missed a third straight game due to injury. ... Bucks guard Gary Payton II made his third appearance of the season. On a two-way contract, Payton scored a career-high eight points in 15 minutes.

KIDD AWAY FROM TEAM

Kidd missed the game following the birth of his daughter. Kidd’s wife, Porschla, gave birth to Cooper Anne Kidd on Sunday.

PLAYING THROUGH PAIN

Wall returned to the starting lineup after missing Sunday’s loss to Toronto with a sore left knee. Porter was in the starting lineup after an MRI on his right hand came back negative.

“When I first went out there and shot today, it was perfectly fine,” Wall said. “If you saw me warming up the last couple games, you could tell that we had to take time to warm up.

“I was great. I was cool. I missed some easy early shots, but other than that I was fine.”

UP NEXT

Wizards: Washington plays at Charlotte on Wednesday. The Wizards took three of four from the Hornets last season.

Bucks: Milwaukee will travel to Phoenix to face the Suns on Wednesday. The Bucks and Suns made a big trade on Nov. 7, when Bledsoe went to Milwaukee in exchange for Greg Monroe and two draft picks.

Report: Bucks to acquire G Bledsoe from Suns

The Milwaukee Bucks are close to acquiring disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for center Greg Monroe and a first-round draft pick, ESPN reported on Tuesday.

Bledsoe has been kept away from the Suns since being sent home by general manager Ryan McDonough on Oct. 23, one day after the 27-year-old tweeted, "I don't wanna be here." That tweet came hours before Phoenix fired coach Earl Watson and replaced him with interim coach Jay Triano.

Bledsoe was fined $10,000 by the NBA that tweet, McDonough told AZCentral.com on Sunday.

Bledsoe later tried to put that tweet in context, although McDonough wasn't buying the excuse.

"He said he was at a hair salon. ... I didn't believe that to be true," McDonough said last month.

Bledsoe is averaging 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three games for the Suns this season -- his fifth with the team. He is entering his eighth NBA season and owns career averages of 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Bledsoe would join a Bucks backcourt with 2016 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, Matthew Dellavedova and Jason Terry.

Monroe is averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in five games this season. The 27-year-old is averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 543 career contests with Detroit and Milwaukee since being selected by the Pistons with the seventh overall pick of the 2010 draft.

Antetokounmpo powers Bucks past Hornets 103-94

By DAVE BOEHLER
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing “at a crazy level,” according to teammate Khris Middleton.

Hard to argue with that.

Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks scored the final nine points in a 103-94 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

The reigning Eastern Conference player of the week was 13 for 21 from the field and 6 for 8 at the line. He also had six assists and blocked two shots.

The 22-year-old Antetokounmpo has scored at least 30 points in each of his first four games. He had a career-high 44 points Saturday against Portland.

“I mean, we need him to play like this,” Middleton said. “He’s a match-up nightmare for everybody. The more we can play for him, the more that he relies on us too, the easier the games are going to be for us.”

Middleton added 20 points for Milwaukee, which played its third game in four days, all at home.

Charlotte, which missed its last seven shots after the score was tied at 94, was led by Frank Kaminsky’s 18 points. Jeremy Lamb added 17 points, Kemba Walker had 15 and Dwight Howard grabbed 22 rebounds — three shy of the team record.

Antetokounmpo’s two free throws gave Milwaukee a 96-94 lead with 1:34 left. Charlotte missed two 3-pointers on its next possession and Middleton made a 3 from the top of the arc with 43.5 seconds to go.

Howard missed two foul shots with 33 seconds remaining to finish 0 for 9 from the line, but Charlotte caught a break when the rebound was tapped to Lamb. But he missed a shot after driving through the lane.

Antetokounmpo sank two more free throws, Walker shot an air ball from long range and Middleton capped the scoring with two free throws with 16.2 seconds left.

“I thought the guys executed their sets offensively and I thought they were patient,” Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. “Sometimes we can get in a rush and take that first shot because it’s wide open but turning down a good shot to get a great shot, those are what the good teams do in this league, and I thought that’s what we did tonight.”

A floating shot by Middleton gave Milwaukee a 90-81 lead with 7:49 left. But Charlotte responded by scoring the next seven points, and shortly after tied the score at 94 on a 3-pointer by Kaminsky with 3:05 remaining. But the Hornets were shut out from there.

“It was terrible offense,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. “The second half, it is just not going to work in this league.”

SCOUTING REPORT

Antetokounmpo’s 147 points through the first four games are the most in team history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 146 in 1970-71.

“We played Friday, so Saturday you start watching (film on Milwaukee), and you sit and enjoy his greatness,” Clifford said. “It’s not just his size and athleticism, he has an energy level and a flare and a passion for playing that is fun to watch. Then ... you’re like ‘What are we going to do?’ That happens a lot in this league, but certainly he’s one of the guys that you enjoy watching.”

INJURIES APLENTY

Charlotte announced before the game that guard Julyan Stone will miss four to six weeks with a strained left hamstring. He got hurt in practice Sunday.

Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon also did not play because of a left ankle sprain. It is uncertain how long he will be out.

TIP-INS

Hornets: Howard became the first Hornets player with three straight 15-plus rebound games since Al Jefferson in 2014.

Bucks: Milwaukee attempted just three free throws in the first half, compared to 22 for Charlotte.

UP NEXT

Hornets: Charlotte hosts Denver on Wednesday to begin a three-game homestand.

Bucks: Milwaukee hosts the Celtics after opening their season with a win in Boston.

Whew! Raptors blow 25-point lead, but beat Bucks 92-89

By GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The crowd on the road was rowdy. The 25-point lead was gone. The Toronto Raptors were frazzled, in danger of losing a Game 6 in the playoffs again.

This time, Toronto found a way to win.

DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points, Cory Joseph had five points in a 9-0 run in the final 2 minutes to answer a furious rally by the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Raptors held on for a 92-89 victory Thursday night to take their first-round playoff series in six games.

The Raptors move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a series that starts Monday.

"We lost our composure a little bit," coach Dwane Casey said. "Again, we found a way to (hold on). That's what good teams do."

Toronto snapped a five-game losing streak in Game 6s, earning a couple extra days off to rest for the Cavaliers. The Raptors also need to work on finishing off opponents in the second half.

Joseph's 3 with 1:27 left put Toronto up for good, 85-82. Two foul shots from Joseph with 33.9 seconds extended the lead to seven.

The Raptors could finally breathe easy after DeRozan went 2 of 2 from the foul line with 3.1 seconds to play for a three-point lead. Tony Snell's inbounds pass on the ensuing possession was intercepted by DeRozan.

"We stayed calm. We knew they weren't going to give up," DeRozan said.

Jason Terry's 3 with 3:06 left had given the Bucks an 80-78 lead, completing an unlikely comeback from the 25-point deficit with 5:16 left in the third quarter. The Raptors looked as if they were on cruise control after DeMarre Carroll's 3 gave them the 71-46 advantage.

Giannis Antetokounmpo spearheaded the second-half rally for Milwaukee. He had 34 points.

But the Bucks finished one comeback short.

A 9-of-18 showing from the foul line in the fourth quarter hurt, too.

"We always talk about the little things, and when we look at this it comes down to just free throws," coach Jason Kidd said. "We don't need to overanalyze it. We got to the stripe and we just couldn't capitalize on that."

Khris Middleton added 19 points for the Bucks after missing practice time this week because of illness.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Toronto last won a Game 6 in 2001 after defeating Philadelphia in a second-round series. ... Entering Thursday, Toronto was 0-4 all-time in Game 6s on the road, and 0-3 in Casey's six-year tenure with the team. That stretch started in 2014, when the Raptors lost a first-round series to the Brooklyn Nets, who were then coached by Kidd. ... DeRozan was 7 of 13 for a game-high 16 points in the first half. ... The Raptors lost three of four games to Cleveland in the regular season.

Bucks: Middleton made the only 3 of the first half for Milwaukee, which missed its eight other shots from behind the arc. The Raptors outscored the Bucks 28-22 in the paint, negating Milwaukee's strength. ... The franchise hasn't won a playoff series since advancing to the Eastern Conference finals in 2001.

BREATHLESS BUCKS

The furious effort appeared to sap the energy of the young Bucks. Even Antetokounmpo, a gym rat, looked tired with his hands on hips as he caught his breath during fourth-quarter breaks. He played 47 minutes.

Antetokounmpo finished 13 of 23 from the field and 2 of 6 in the fourth.

A frenetic, towel-waving crowd helped fuel the Bucks.

"You know you're going to be tired, it's the playoffs. I just was thinking in my mind `Do whatever it takes,'" the All-Star said. "I told my teammates to just fight through it. It was not just me. Everybody was tired."

LOSING FOCUS

Nearly everything was going Toronto's way from late in the first quarter to midway through the third quarter.

Then the Raptors lost focus. They looked like the team that had the embarrassing 27-point loss in Game 3.

"I think we gave up the lead by not passing the ball, not moving the ball as much," guard Kyle Lowry said. "But you live and you learn. ... On to the next one and we're prepared for the next one."

Lowry finished with 13 points.

UP NEXT

The Raptors will face Cleveland a year after losing to the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals in six games.

"Winning in Cleveland is difficult. We know what we're facing," Casey said. "Hopefully we've got a couple days now to review what they're doing."

---

More AP NBA: apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Visiting Raptors look to close out Bucks

Stats, LLC

MILWAUKEE -- In their 22 seasons, postseason success hasn't exactly been a hallmark of the Toronto Raptors.

Now, with a chance to clinch a first-round series for the second straight season and just the third time in franchise history, the Raptors will try to ignore their past when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of a first-round, Eastern Conference playoff series Thursday at the Bradley Center.

The Raptors have never won three playoff games in a row, but are in a position to do just that as well as wrap up a physical series a little early, providing some extra time to rest before a potential second-round matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Hopefully we've learned a lesson," forward DeMarre Carroll said. "We don't want to come back home and try to take care of this athletic, long Milwaukee team. We want to take care of them on the road."

Milwaukee is certain to make adjustments after dropping two straight in a series they led 2-1 after a 27-point home rout in Game 3, but Raptors head coach Dwane Casey thinks his team is prepared for whatever the Bucks throw their way.

"We think about that after every game -- win, lose or draw," Casey said. "We try to anticipate what they're going to do. That's part of the chess match."

History isn't on the Bucks' side, either.

Milwaukee lost its last seven playoffs series, including six in a row in the first round. The last two both ended in Game 6, and both ended painfully.

In 2010, the Bucks shocked the Atlanta Hawks by taking a 3-2 lead in the series but shot just 32.9 percent from the field while Brandon Jennings and John Salmons combined to hit just 6 of 28 shots, with Salmons going 2-for-13.

Atlanta evened the series with an 83-69 victory in Milwaukee then clinched the series two nights later in Atlanta.

Five years later, the Bucks forced a Game 6 after digging out of a 3-0 hole with two straight victories against the Chicago Bulls only to be embarrassed, 120-66, in a home arena full of visiting fans.

Now, though, with head coach Jason Kidd steering Milwaukee's ship, the Bucks are hoping to take another step in their development while staving off elimination.

"We're lacking the experience of what's coming," Kidd said. "We can talk about it, but we have to go through that process, we have to walk through that door. For a lot of these guys, they've never seen this. This team has been to the Eastern Conference finals, they've been there. Their coach has seen this before."

The Bucks should have shooting guard Khris Middleton available Thursday night. He sat out practice Wednesday because of an illness, but Kidd said the absence was more precautionary.

Middleton scored eight points on 3-for-8 shooting with a 3-pointer in Game 5. For the series, he's averaging 13.6 points on 38.5 percent shooting with 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

Should Milwaukee win, Game 7 would be played Saturday in Toronto.

Powell scores 25 as Raptors beat Bucks 118-93 in Game 5

Associated Press

TORONTO -- Putting Norm Powell in the starting lineup has changed the playoff fortunes of the Toronto Raptors.

Powell scored a career playoff-high 25 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 10 assists and the Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-93 in Game 5 of their first-round series on Monday night.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey said Powell has been "a spark plug."

"In this series, he's been the X-factor," Casey said.

Serge Ibaka scored 19 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 for the Raptors, who can advance to face defending champion Cleveland in the second round with a victory in Game 6 at Milwaukee on Thursday night.

"We've got to treat it like Game 7, period," DeRozan said. "We can't be happy with these last two games. We've just got to treat this next game like it's Game 7."

Many in the sellout crowd of 20,251 rose to their feet and chanted `Raps in six' in the final minute of the game.

"If we want to continue to play, if we want to push it to a Game 7, we've got to win at home," Bucks rookie point guard Malcolm Brogdon said. "If we don't come out and give the energy that we need to then we'll lose and we'll be done."

Pressed into action after Milwaukee routed Toronto 104-77 in Game 3, Powell delivered a much-needed jolt of energy and athleticism as Toronto ground out a victory in Game 4.

On Monday, Powell added scoring punch to his playoff resume. He connected on all four of his 3-point attempts and brought the crowd to its feet with a baseline dunk over Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker in the fourth quarter.

"Powell has come in with a lot of energy on both sides of the ball and they're feeding off of that," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said.

"He's playing extremely hard and he's knocking down shots. When you look at the stat sheet, he's picked them up here the last couple of games just with his energy and his spirit."

Brogdon said Powell has given Toronto more versatility.

"They move the ball better with him in the game," Brogdon said. "They can spread the floor better, everybody can attack, everybody can make plays."

Toronto lost Game 6 on the road at Indiana in the first round and at Miami in the second round last year, rebounding to win Game 7 at home each time. They were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference Final against the Cavs, losing at home in the clincher.

DeMarre Carroll scored 12 points as all five Raptors starters reached double figures. Cory Joseph had 10 points off the bench for Toronto.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a career playoff-high 30 points while Brogdon scored 19 points and Greg Monroe had 11.

Ibaka and Powell each scored nine points in the first and the Raptors used a 17-0 run to open a 31-20 lead after the opening quarter. Milwaukee committed five turnovers in the first, leading to 10 points for Toronto.

"Our defense kind of got hit again in the first quarter," Kidd said. "We knew they were going to come after us, we had to expect that, and we just couldn't respond."

Monroe and Jonas Valanciunas were called for double technicals after a minor shoving match under the Milwaukee basket in the third. After Valanciunas took exception to a hard foul from Khris Middleton, Monroe pushed his own teammate out of the way so he could shove Valanciunas.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Middleton started despite suffering from an illness. He scored eight points ... Milwaukee missed five of seven free-throw attempts in the first half. They finished 15 for 26 ... The Bucks didn't have any second-chance points. ... Antetokounmpo had nine rebounds.

Raptors: The Raptors finished with 28 assists, one shy of their season-high. ... Toronto scored 30 or more in two quarters after doing so just once in the previous four games. ... The Raptors went 24 for 26 at the free-throw line. DeRozan and Valanciunas each had one miss.

NOT BACKING DOWN

Lowry started despite not being able to participate in shootaround because of a stiff back. He remained standing during timeouts and lay down on the court when he came out of the game. "He's a tough kid," Casey said. "You're going to have to take an arm and a leg off him before you keep him from playing."

HORROR SHOW

Toronto's Carroll said a "heated film session" following the Game 3 blowout loss helped the Raptors regain their focus. "A lot of times when you get in a heated film session it can go bad or it can go good," Carroll said. "I feel like we came together, we saw the problem and we're just trying to build from this."

Raptors beat Bucks 87-76 in slugfest, tie series at 2-2

By GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- DeMar DeRozan reverted back to his playmaking form. The Toronto Raptors reasserted themselves on defense.

They're headed back to Canada after winning a bruiser of a first-round playoff game on Saturday over the Milwaukee Bucks.

DeRozan scored 33 points, and Kyle Lowry had 14 of his 18 points in the second half of Toronto's 87-76 victory to tie the Eastern Conference series at two games apiece.

The Raptors turned up their intensity before a hostile road crowd after getting embarrassed in a 27-point loss to Milwaukee in Game 3. They forced 21 turnovers.

"I've always said we play better with our backs against the wall," coach Dwane Casey said. "It's a tough way to live, but I love our team's resilience and personality."

Toronto reclaimed home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Monday at the Air Canada Centre.

Tony Snell led Milwaukee with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, both playoff career highs.

His 3 with 3:14 left got the Bucks within seven. Lowry answered with a bucket before setting up another basket with a drive-and-dish to center Jonas Valanciunas for a layup in traffic.

While Toronto's star guards produced in the clutch, the defense threw up roadblocks after the Bucks ran roughshod all over the court on Thursday night.

Milwaukee shot 37 percent overall in Game 4, but 31 percent (13 of 42) in the second half.

"Our tempo was extremely slow," coach Jason Kidd said. "Give (Toronto) credit, they slowed us down."

Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting, while also committing seven turnovers. Toronto's P.J. Tucker helped contain the Bucks' All-Star with physical play in the post in the fourth quarter.

"We were just trying to send as many bodies to him as we possibly could," Casey said.

TIP INS

Raptors: Norman Powell started in place of Valanciunas, a switch that Toronto announced about 15 minutes before tipoff. Casey promised to make changes following the Game 3 blowout. The 6-foot-4 Powell offered more quickness to counter the athletic Bucks.

Powell finished with 12 points. He also helped contain Bucks shooter Khris Middleton, who had 11 rebounds but finished 4 of 13 from the field for 10 points.

"What I normally do is be aggressive, be physical and make it difficult ... on the defensive end," Powell said.

Bucks: Antetokounmpo got off to a choppy start after missing five of his first six shots. He also had four of the team's 13 first-half turnovers after the Bucks had averaged 10 turnovers a game in the playoffs against Toronto. The 6-foot-11 forward did add to his collection of highlight-reel plays with a dunk in transition after sidestepping around DeRozan with about 5:30 left in the second quarter.

DEROZAN'S DAY

The resurgent DeRozan was 12 of 22 from the field after missing all eight of his attempts in Game 3.

Bouncing back from adversity isn't new for Toronto. But after a forgettable Game 3, DeRozan said the team stayed patient and remained confident.

"Being patient and being mature with the process, and (trying) to keep him calm," DeRozan said, nodding to his left in the direction of Lowry. "It was still a challenge, but we figured it out."

He came out aggressive with strong drives to the bucket, going 8 of 14 for 21 points in the first half alone.

DOWN THE STRETCH

The game was tied at halftime before Toronto slowly edged away, building a 10-point lead with 4 minutes left on Powell's 3-pointer.

Milwaukee went 0 of 9 from the field during a stretch between late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, but still managed to stay within two possessions of Toronto for much of the second half. The Raptors were only slightly better with the ball, but their defense set the tone.

"Our tempo ... in that second half came to a halt," Kidd said.

BUCKS MISFIRE

Trading shoves in the paint and hand-checks on the perimeter, the Bucks matched the Raptors' rise in defensive intensity. But they misfired more with the ball, with Antetokounmpo seemingly playing too aggressive at times. The Bucks had 13 first-half turnovers.

Center Greg Monroe did his best to keep Milwaukee in the game with 10 points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter.

"We didn't come out energized," Monroe said. "We tried to picking it up in the second half, but it was too late."

---

More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Bucks look to take 3-1 lead vs. Raptors

Stats, LLC

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks will try to take a commanding lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series with Toronto on Saturday when they host the Raptors in Game 4 of the best-of-seven set at the Bradley Center.

The Bucks stunned the Raptors in Game 3, riding a 104-77 blowout to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Despite that performance, Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd expects Toronto to bounce back.

"It only counts for one in the win column," Kidd said. "They understand they have to come back ready Saturday afternoon, just like after Game 1."

Milwaukee cruised to a victory in the series opener at Toronto and despite recovering from multiple double-digit deficits, couldn't get past the Raptors in the second game.

Toronto made a number of adjustments between Games 1 and 2, and coach Dwane Casey was confident his team could make the necessary changes again following one of the worst playoff performances in franchise history.

"We did it from Game 1 to Game 2, so it's possible," Casey said. "We have to make sure we pass the basketball. We went from 24 assists to whatever we had tonight (11).

"We have to sell the guys on the fact that you have to move the basketball. You're not going to dribble around them. You're not going to outrun or out-quick them. The ball can beat speed and quickness. That's what we did in Game 2 and that's what we've got to get back to."

Despite the blowout loss, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry -- like Kidd -- wanted to remind folks that there is still a lot of basketball to be played and that while the Raptors' pride may have been wounded, their confidence remains high heading into Game 4.

The Raptors went 4-1 this season following losses by 15 points or more. The last two times it happened, Toronto responded with winning streaks of six and four games, respectively.

"I still think we can win the series," Lowry said. "It ain't over. It just sucks right now. It's a terrible night right now. It's a terrible feeling the way we just got our (butt) beat. Terrible feeling. So we'd better pick it up. If not, it's going to be a terrible feeling again. But our confidence has not changed. We'll be fine. We've got to come out there and do what we gotta do Saturday."

Toronto will also have to find a way to make things easier for DeMar DeRozan, who was held to just eight points and missed all eight of his attempts from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers. The Bucks made life miserable for DeRozan, essentially taking away his ability to effectively work the pick-and-roll.

"I've got to do a better job of finding him openings and spaces so he can vault up and use his scoring ability," Casey said.

Kidd has urged his team to play "aggressive and desperate," two traits that come easily to a team with a young core lacking a lot of playoff experience. While Kidd has playoff-tested veterans on his bench in Jason Terry and Michael Beasley, as well as Matthew Dellavedova, who won a title last year with Cleveland, he has let his young players, especially rookies Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon, grow on the floor during this series.

"I'm a young coach, so I think we all fit with the experience level," Kidd said. "Thon and Malcolm being two rookies, believe that they can do the job, and they've shown that during the season. The guys on the floor and on the bench support them, and the coaching staff has done everything to prepare them for this moment. It's up to them to be basketball players, and they're very comfortable with doing that. We try to keep things simple and have fun with it, and they do all the work. Watching those two guys play right now is fun."

Milwaukee hasn't led a series 2-1 since taking two of the first three games from Charlotte in the 2001 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Bucks have lost seven straight series since then, holding an advantage just two times before taking 1-0 and 2-1 leads against the Raptors this season.

Bucks overwhelm Raptors 104-77, take 2-1 series lead

By GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) The Bradley Center was throbbing, filled with raucous basketball fans eager to watch one of the NBA's up-and-coming teams.

The Milwaukee Bucks fed off the energy that pulsed through the stands, overwhelming the cold-shooting Toronto Raptors from the opening tip.

Khris Middleton scored 20 points in a 104-77 win on Thursday night that gave the Bucks a 2-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Greg Monroe added 16 points and seven rebounds for the sixth-seeded Bucks, who held DeMar DeRozan without a basket and never looked back after leading by 20 points after the first quarter.

If the Bucks take this series, Game 3 might be seen as a turning point in the development of a rebuilding franchise in a town starving for basketball success. Milwaukee hasn't won a playoff series since going to the conference finals in 2001.

"It was big from the first play," All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said about the home-court environment. "It was just fun, fun to play with such great fans ... Hopefully they can show some love and be loud in Game 4."

The teams meet again on Saturday back in Milwaukee.

Making this blowout even more impressive was that they barely needed Antetokounmpo. He finished with 19 points and eight boards.

With raucous fans wearing black Bucks giveaway T-shirts to match the players' uniforms, Milwaukee put on a dominating display of basketball worthy of the team's "Fear the Deer" slogan.

The Raptors looked frazzled after shooting 4 of 18 in the first quarter. Kyle Lowry had 13 points.

"I thought our defense was active, and guys were picking each other up," coach Jason Kidd said.

DeRozan scored eight but was 0 of 8 from the field. The Raptors and their playoff-tested backcourt looked nothing like the crew that held off the Bucks in Game 2 in Toronto.

This night belonged to Milwaukee.

"They ambushed us," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "There was no aspect of our game that we executed whatsoever."

TIP-INS

Raptors: Toronto trailed 57-30 at the half, tying the team's regular-season low for scoring in a half. The Raptors scored 30 in the second half of a loss at Charlotte on Jan. 20, 2017. ... Frustration was evident early in the game. Serge Ibaka was whistled for a technical foul with 2:03 left in the first half and Toronto trailing by 31 points after slamming the ball hard on the floor following a defensive goaltending call.

Bucks: Middleton finished 8 of 15 after hitting his first five shots to get the offense going. The 6-foot-8 forward is the Bucks' best all-around player after Antetokounmpo with his ability to hit from the 3-point line, create in traffic and defend on the perimeter. ... Monroe fouled out with 8:07 left.

BUCKS DOMINATION

The Bucks moved the ball well, hit open shots and had a double-digit edge on points in the paint for much of the night.

On the other end, the Bucks' length bothered the Raptors. Toronto also started poorly from the 3-point line, missing its first six shots from behind the arc.

"We were just trying to make them work. Forcing DeRozan and Lowry into tough shots and try to make everybody else make plays," Middleton said.

RAPTORS STRUGGLE

With about 6 minutes left in the second quarter, the Raptors had called their fourth timeout while trailing by 31. They had only six field goals at the time.

Toronto finished 24 of 71 on the night (33 percent) and 6 of 22 from 3-point range (27 percent). The Bucks shot 52 percent from the floor overall and from 3-point range.

"It's a terrible feeling. We better pick it up," Lowry said. "Our confidence is not changed. We'll be fine."

QUOTABLE

"We'll make changes ... As a staff we have to do a better job of finding ways for openings and space for us to score." - Casey.

Lowry bounces back, Raptors edge Bucks to even series at 1-1

By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) -- Kyle Lowry shrugged off his Game 1 struggles in style, and got the Raptors back on level terms.

Lowry scored 22 points, including the clinching basket with less than 10 seconds to play, and Toronto beat the Milwaukee Bucks 106-100 on Tuesday night, evening their first-round playoff series at 1-1.

"I've been in the trenches with him before and he's always bounced back," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "That's just who he is. He's a competitor, he's a fighter. I just knew that he wasn't going to be satisfied with the way he played in the first game."

DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, Serge Ibaka added 13 of his 16 in the second half and Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who improved to 5-1 when playing Game 2 of a playoff series on their home court.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks. Khris Middleton scored 20 points and Greg Monroe had 18.

Lowry scored just four points in Saturday's Game 1 loss, missing all six of his 3-point attempts.

He was much better in Game 2, going 6 for 12, including 2 of 5 from long range.

"We knew he was gong to be more aggressive, we knew he was going to get his shot off," Antetokounmpo said. "Tonight he did a better job of shooting the ball and finding his teammates, too."

Of Lowry's six baskets, none was bigger than his step back jumper with 8.9 seconds remaining, which gave Toronto a 104-100 lead.

"The play was for DeMar to get a bucket," Lowry said. "That's our guy. He had two guys on him and he trusted us. He threw it to Serge and Serge gave it to me. For me, I just wanted to get to my spot. I knew there were five seconds on the shot clock and I wanted to get to my spot. I got to my spot and let it go."

While they couldn't snatch a second win away from home, Antetokounmpo said the Bucks had still managed to achieve something important.

"We definitely gained a lot of things out of these two games," he said. "We got their attention."

Toronto went 5 for 23 from behind the 3-point line in Game 1 but nearly tripled its output in Game 2, finishing 14 for 29.

"They made more 3s by halftime than they did in the whole game in Game 1," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "We've got to get those guys off the 3. That helped them."

Leading 84-83 through three quarters, Toronto opened the fourth with an 11-0 run that included a pair of 3-pointers by Ibaka, and a third from P.J. Tucker.

Milwaukee battled back, and a layup by Antetokounmpo cut it to 98-97 with 2:46 remaining, leading to a Raptors timeout.

Ibaka made a jumper to put Toronto up three but Antetokounmpo answered with a 3-pointer, tying it at 100-all with 2:03 left.

DeRozan broke the tie with a jumper and, after missed 3-pointers by Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova, Tucker missed a pair of free throws.

DeRozan grabbed the rebound on a missed jumper by Middleton, setting the stage for Lowry's decisive basket.

DeRozan scored 12 points in the first and Antetokounmpo made just one of six field goal attempts in the opening quarter as Toronto led 28-25.

Lowry scored 12 points in the second but Milwaukee scored the final five points of the half to keep it close. Toronto led 55-52 at the break.

DeMarre Carroll scored seven points in a 13-0 Toronto run that gave the Raptors a 73-60 lead midway through the third but the Bucks answered with a 15-4 run over the next three minutes. Toronto led 84-83 heading to the fourth.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Antetokounmpo missed six of his first eight field goal attempts. His only made basket in the first quarter was a dunk. ... Antetokounmpo finished with seven assists.

Raptors: Ibaka started despite a sore left ankle sustained when he stepped on Antetokounmpo's foot in the third quarter of Game 1. ... Lowry had four rebounds and five assists. ... Former Toronto C Bismack Biyombo attended the

STEERING CLEAR OF SLUMPS

The Raptors have lost back-to-back games just once since the All-Star break, losing March 10 at Atlanta and March 11 at Miami.

TAKE TWO

Toronto is 6-6 all time in Game 2s.

UP NEXT.

The teams meet Thursday in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo scores 28 points, Bucks beat Raptors 97-83

By IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) – The Milwaukee Bucks left the Toronto Raptors behind - again.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points, rookie Malcolm Brogdon had 16 and the Bucks beat the Raptors 97-83 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.

"Our second half was just abysmal," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We didn't play with any pace, any rhythm, any movement. You keep playing that way, it's always going to bite you in the behind and that's what happened to us tonight."

The Raptors have lost the opening game in eight consecutive playoff series, a streak of futility Toronto star DeMar DeRozan was at a loss to explain.

"If I had the answer, maybe we would have pulled it out tonight," DeRozan said. "It's something now that we're not unfamiliar with, being at this point. It's never ideal."

Playing his second career playoff series, Antetekounmpo made 13 of 18 shots, and added eight rebounds and three assists.

"It's big for us, but now we have to focus on Game 2," Antetokounmpo said. "We know they're going to be more desperate."

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Toronto.

Greg Monroe had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks, Tony Snell scored 11, and Khris Middleton finished with 10 points and nine assists.

"Any time you win it feels good, especially against a good team, a playoff-tested team," Monroe said. "To come in here and get one feels good."

DeRozan led Toronto with 27 points, and Serge Ibaka had 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Toronto recovered to win seven-game series against Indiana and Miami after losing Game 1 openers in last year's playoffs.

"We'll figure it out," Casey said. "We've been there before. It's not a good feeling."

Toronto's Kyle Lowry made only two of 11 field-goal attempts, missing all six 3-point efforts, and finished with four points.

"He had some good looks, he just missed some shots," Casey said.

After shooting 3 for 13 in a Game 1 loss to Miami in the second round last spring, Lowry stayed past midnight at Air Canada Centre, shooting alone on the court.

Lowry said Saturday's poor night felt "like deja vu all over again."

Antetekounmpo picked up his fourth foul with 4:33 left in the third and headed to the bench as Toronto's P.J. Tucker was making two free throws to break a 64-all tie.

Without Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee closed the quarter on an 11-5 run to take a 75-70 lead into the fourth.

"When he came out I thought his teammates picked him up," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "That just shows we're growing, being a young team, that they trusted one another with Giannis out."

Milwaukee kept it going after Antetokounmpo returned for the final quarter. The Bucks scored eight straight points, including four from Middleton, to make it 85-71 with 8:47 left.

"Once they got their mojo going, we didn't do a good job," Casey said.

Ibaka's jump shot at 7:49 was Toronto's first made field goal of the fourth. Toronto shot 7 for 35 in the second half, following up a 3 for 18 showing in the third by going 4 for 17 in the fourth. The Raptors went 27 for 75 overall.

Many in the sellout crowd of 20,133 headed for the exits throughout the final quarter as the Bucks stretched their lead to a game-high 19 points.

Ibaka was the only Raptors starter to make a 3-pointer. Toronto finished 5 for 23 from long range, with the starting five going 1 for 13. No Raptors player made more than one 3-pointer.

Toronto trailed 30-22 after the first but outscored Milwaukee 29-16 in the second to take a 51-46 lead at halftime. Ibaka scored 10 points in the first and DeRozan had 10 in the second, going 6 for 6 from the free throw line.

TIP INS

Bucks: Milwaukee shot 7 for 21 in the second. ... Milwaukee has won consecutive games against Toronto after losing 13 of the previous 14 meetings.

Raptors: After playing 418 games over seven seasons, Tucker made his playoff debut. ... DeRozan finished with one assist. ... Jonas Valanciunas had nine points and nine rebounds. ... Actor Ethan Hawke attended the game.

Paul George scores 23 points, Pacers beat Bucks 104-89

By JEFF SKIRVIN
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) With the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture tightening up on a nightly basis, Paul George and the Indiana Pacers got a much-needed home win Thursday night to keep their postseason hopes alive.

George had 23 points and 10 rebounds to help the Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-89. The loss was Milwaukee's third straight after winning seven of its previous eight.

Just three games remain for the Pacers (39-40). And their team leader said he thinks the team is playing at the highest level all season. But the timing certainly could be better.

"I think that sense of urgency we've been talking about - I think it's finally starting to hit home," George said. "The frustrating part about it is, not taking care of the games we should have way earlier (in the season) and knowing playing at this level we're playing at is the team we should have been. It's tough. Here we are fighting for a spot when this all could have been avoided."

Point guard Jeff Teague scored 15 points and had seven assists for the Pacers, Thaddeus Young had 12 points, and Lance Stephenson nine in his third game back with Indiana.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He scored 16 points in the first half to help the Bucks keep pace, but Indiana kept him in check in the second half and pulled away. Mirza Teletovic added 15 points off the bench for the Bucks.

The Pacers had several key runs that thwarted Milwaukee's attempts to gain an edge.

With the game tied at 38 in the second quarter, Indiana used a 10-0 run to create its first cushion on its way to a 56-50 halftime lead. A 13-0 run in the third quarter allowed the Pacers to pull away from the Bucks after they'd pulled within 63-61 on an Antetokounmpo 3-point play.

The Pacers needed just 19 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win thanks to its defense that held the Bucks to 16 in the final period.

Indiana's second straight win, coupled with Milwaukee's third straight loss, creates a logjam in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings with less than a week to go.

Just 1 1/2 games separates fifth-place Atlanta from the ninth-place Heat (38-40), who had the night off. Seventh-place Chicago (39-40) defeated Philadelphia on Thursday. The Bulls hold the tiebreaker over the Pacers (39-40), who moved up a spot to eighth with Miami off. The Heat also hold the tiebreaker over Indiana, should there be a tie after the regular season finale Wednesday.

Bucks coach Jason Kidd acknowledged how important Thursday's game was for both teams.

"In March and April, everyone is trying to win," Kidd said. "Teams that aren't even in the playoffs are trying to win, too. You can't take anybody lightly and you can't exhale."

Although the Pacers remain in playoff contention - the moved up one spot to eighth with Miami off Thursday - their fate may not be completely in their control. Chicago and Miami both hold the season tiebreaker over the Pacers.

George said the Pacers are paying close attention to the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat as the race for the Eastern Conference Playoffs winds down.

"We've got to be mindful of what (Miami and Chicago) are doing. We don't really control our destiny, to an extent," George said. "We've got to, again, rely on a little help with those (teams) losing games. Only thing we can do is give ourselves a fighting chance."

Second-year center Myles Turner said the Pacers can take advantage of that fighting chance - if they get it.

"I get the sense that we're coming together at the right time," Turner said. "I just think we've been inconsistent all year and ... if we can get into the playoffs we'll take off."

TIP-INS

Bucks: Milwaukee had won the previous three matchups against Indiana. ... The Bucks fell to 18-21 on the road.

Pacers: The Pacers went 1-3 this season against the Bucks. ... Indiana improved to 28-12 at home, the fourth-best home record in the Eastern Conference.

UP NEXT

Bucks: At Philadelphia on Saturday.

Pacers: At Orlando on Saturday.

Thunder's Westbrook continues chase against Bucks

Stats, LLC

OKLAHOMA CITY -- While Russell Westbrook is on the verge of completing an historical achievement, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves in the midst of a mini-slump.

Westbrook enters Tuesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks needing one more triple-double to tie Hall of Famer's Oscar Robertson's season record of 41.

The point guard is currently riding a string of six straight triple-doubles, the odds are in his favor that by the end of the night he and Robertson will be co-owners of the record.

Westbrook is also just 11 rebounds and 29 assists from averaging a triple-double for a season. Once again, a feat only done once in history before by Robertson.

However, due to the recent level of the Thunder's play, they can't focus on the individual brilliance of Westbrook.

Oklahoma City (43-33) has lost back-to-back games and three of its last five outings. In that time span, the Thunder have almost played their way out of a No. 4 or 5 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

With only six games left in the regular season, the Thunder are looking to right their ship.

"I think guys have got to figure it out by themselves and do their own routine or ritual, whatever you want to call it," Thunder guard Andre Roberson said. "You have just got to lay it all out on the line. It is that time of year. You have got to progress upward going into playoffs. We have got to find a more sustainable way to play basketball."

Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan has zeroed in on his team's energy level. After watching the Thunder lose a 21-point lead to San Antonio and then fall 21 points behind Charlotte, they haven't played a full 48 minutes to their level in some time.

"I personally feel that I enjoy playing games like this for our team. I don't mean this in any disrespect to Charlotte, but they are desperate," Donovan said. "They want to play in the playoffs. They are laying it on the line their last five or six games.

"I like playing against desperate teams because what it does is exposes what you have to do in my opinion to really compete and play at that extraordinary high level."

The Bucks are one of those teams fighting for the playoffs and playoff positioning. They have yet to secure a postseason spot but are currently in fifth place. But only three games separate them from fifth and being out of the playoffs.

Milwaukee (40-37) didn't help itself by losing 109-105 to Dallas on Sunday. Matthew Dellavedova puts the loss on lack of defensive intensity -- something the team can't have in Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday night.

"I know everyone in this locker room knows it," Dellavedova told the Journal Sentinel. "I think it's pretty obvious watching us that we're at our best when we get out and play defense. We can get out and run. That's when we're sharing the ball and that's our identity."

Giannis Antetokounmpo totaled 31 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the Bucks remained one game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks despite a sub-par defensive showings.

"We didn't play hard enough, we didn't do what we usually do," Antetokounmpo said. "That's the game, and we move on. We know how important these last five games are for us. We're going to play together and try to finish it off strong."

Bucks fend off late Celtics rally in 103-100 win

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) The Boston Celtics were hesitant to celebrate after ascending to the top spot of the Eastern Conference standings earlier this week.

And just like that, they dropped back into second.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points and nine rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks knocked Boston out of the top spot with a 103-100 victory on Wednesday night.

Malcolm Brogdon, one of the leading contenders for NBA Rookie of the Year, finished with 16 points and nine assists. He had six key points in the final 2:46 to help Milwaukee fend off a late Boston charge.

The Bucks (39-36) have won five of six, including four straight on the road. Currently the sixth seed, they moved a full two games ahead of seventh-place Miami, and now have the same record as fifth-place Atlanta.

The 24-year-old Brogdon said his confidence comes from the trust veterans Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Greg Monroe have shown in him.

"Tonight the ball was in my hands at the end of the game," Brogdon said. "It takes a lot of character and will to win more than anything to have it in a rookie's hands at the end of the game."

Boston (48-27) had won four in a row. The loss dropped the Celtics percentage points behind idle Cleveland.

"It's just a loss," center Al Horford said. "I feel like they jumped on us early, we fought our way back ... and we just couldn't make plays down the stretch."

After playing from behind most of the night, Boston had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but couldn't get a clean inbounds pass. Marcus Smart managed only a wild air ball as time expired.

Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 32 points. Avery Bradley added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Celtics trailed throughout the fourth quarter before Marcus Smart got free for a driving layup to tie it at 93 with 2:46 left.

But the Bucks responded with an 8-3 run, led by two baskets and two assists by Brogdon.

Thomas scored four straight to get Boston within one, but Brogdon came through again - this time with a fallaway jumper over Bradley with the shot clock winding down - to make it 103-100 with just 3.9 seconds left.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Had an 11-0 run early in the second quarter and led by as many as 14 in the first half.

Celtics: With his layup in the closing seconds of the first half, Thomas became just the sixth Celtic ever to score 2,000 points in a single season. He also extended his streak with at least one 3-pointer to a franchise-best 50 straight games. ... Thomas picked up his 13th technical foul of the season in the first quarter. ... Smart's technical was his eighth of the season.

PHYSICAL PLAY

Attitudes flared just before halftime when Smart and Middleton collided in midair while trying to corral a loose ball. Both walked away bloodied on the play, and after Smart was initially called for a foul he also received a technical for something he said to an official.

After a review the personal foul was changed, and charged to Middleton.

PROSPECT WATCH

Guerschon Yabusele, who was selected by Boston with the 16th overall pick in last June's draft, has joined its D-League affiliate Maine Red Claws and is expected to get his first action there on Friday. Yabusele, from France, was one of two players the Celtics chose to draft and place in leagues overseas last year.

"I think this is a great opportunity for him," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "It's more for him to be around (coach Scott Morrison) and his staff. This is totally for him. It's not an evaluation for us."

UP NEXT

Bucks: Host the Pistons on Friday.

Celtics: Look for season sweep when they host the Magic on Friday.

East-leading Celtics host burgeoning Bucks

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BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics take the TD Garden floor for their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night as the first-place team in the Eastern Conference for the first time in six years.

After their win Monday night moved them to within percentage points of the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers, the defending NBA champions lost (badly) at San Antonio to give the Celtics the conference lead for the first time since March 22, 2011.

"I want this to be a special season for our team," Avery Bradley said Tuesday. "We have a special group of guys, and I feel like we deserve it."

The Celtics have won the first four contests of a six-game homestand that concludes Friday night against the Orlando Magic. They have won 14 of their last 15 home games, and their 48 wins match last year's total, with eight games left.

They have a head-to-head meeting with the Cavaliers at TD Garden next Wednesday -- Cleveland holding a 2-1 lead in the season series.

Said coach Brad Stevens: "I still think we can play a lot better and that's where my focus is, and I think we have to keep it there."

And they also know the Cavaliers may well just be saving it for the games that "really" count.

"They've been struggling, for whatever reason, but it's still an NBA championship-caliber team," Boston's Isaiah Thomas said. "They're the defending champions, so it goes through them until someone eliminates them.

"I don't think you can be too worried about the things that they're struggling with right now. They're a really good team. Sooner or later they'll probably figure it out."

The hard-charging Bucks, fighting to get one of the final Eastern playoff spots, reeled off their 12th win in the last 15 games by cruising to a 118-108 victory over the Hornets in Charlotte on Tuesday night.

The win left Milwaukee tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth spot in the conference, a game ahead of the Indiana Pacers and two up on the Miami Heat.

Tony Snell (career-high 26 points) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (20) combined for 46 points on 18-of-27 shooting, 5 of 9 from 3-point range, in Tuesday night's win. The Bucks were 14-for-30 from behind the arc.

"I thought the guys came in with the right mindset to be aggressive on the road, knowing what was at stake," coach Jason Kidd said. "It carried over from shoot-around and yesterday's practice. I thought the focus was at a very high level. I thought the ball movement got us going early, and I thought the guys shared the ball, and it was a team win."

As far as the race goes, Kidd said before the game, "This is the fun part of the year; they call it scoreboard watching. This is an exciting part of the year for different teams because they're jockeying for seedings and there's a lot of basketball to be played."

Thomas scored 37 points and dished out eight assists in the Celtics' 112-108 win at Milwaukee on Jan. 28, and the teams meet again in Boston to close the season on April 12.

Snell scores 26 points, Bucks beat Hornets 118-108

By STEVE REED
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Tony Snell doesn't mind being the fourth option in the Milwaukee Bucks offense.

There are certain nights, like Tuesday, when it pays not to be the center of attention.

Snell scored a season-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points and eight rebounds and the hot-shooting Bucks handed the Charlotte Hornets' playoff hopes a potentially devastating blow with a 118-108 victory.

"It's a credit to Giannis and Khris (Middleton)," Snell said. "They draw a lot of attention and there was good ball movement. It was a good night."

Malcolm Brogdon had 14 points and 10 assists for his second double-double of the season, and the Bucks won for the 12th time in 15 games.

"He did a great job knocking down shots and just being aggressive off the dribble and going to the rim," Antetokounmpo said. "He's done a great job. He's not just defending, he's out there making shots for us and spacing the floor. For me and Khris, we help him, and he'll help us too. When he makes shots the court is wide-open for me, Moose (Greg Monroe) and everybody."

The Bucks (38-36) made 20 of their first 26 shots and hit 73 percent from the field in the first half to take a 72-50 lead into the locker room.

Snell, Brogdon and Antetokounmpo were a combined 15 of 18 from the field in the first half, while Milwaukee's bench combined to hit 12 of 17 shots before the break.

"I thought Tony's reads and being able to drive the ball was able to set up a lot of things," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "We had a lot of open shots in the second half that we didn't knock down. We can't live or die by the 3, but our defense did a good job and slowed down a good offensive team like Charlotte."

The Bucks scored with ease on crisp passes, piling up 31 assists. The Hornets appeared a step slow on defense.

"Our defense was beyond bad," said a visibly frustrated Hornets coach Steve Clifford.

Charlotte trailed by 26 in the second and never got closer than nine.

Charlotte (33-41) entered in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and fell three games behind the Miami Heat for the final playoff spot with nine games remaining.

Clifford was disappointed with his team's effort, particularly given the magnitude of the game, saying the "care factor" wasn't there.

"These are the games where the competitors show up - and we didn't," Clifford said. "We got killed tonight."

TIP-INS

Bucks: Monroe had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists off the bench. ... The Bucks earned their first season series win against Charlotte since the 2011-12 season. ... They improved to 19-7 this season when shooting better than 50 percent from the field.

Hornets: Outscored the Bucks 15-2 on fastbreak points. ... Got outrebounded 42-31.

MARCO CUT

Hornets guard Marco Belinelli left the game late in the fourth quarter with a gash near his right eye after a collision with Middleton.

He received several stitches and did not return.

DEFENDING THE 3

Kidd was happy with his team's perimeter defense, holding the Hornets to 7-of-28 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.

SLAP IN THE FACE

Nic Batum, Charlotte's $20 million-a-year man, was held to six points on 2-of-9 shooting and only had two rebounds.

"The way we played the last two weeks we were fine and just (felt) like a playoff team," Batum said. "We didn't have it tonight. It was a very, very bad game. Sometimes you need that slap in the face, maybe, to get back on track again and win games."

UP NEXT

Bucks: Travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Wednesday night.

Hornets: At Toronto on Wednesday night.

Butler did it: Bulls pulls away for 109-94 win over Bucks

By GENARO C. ARMAS
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) Jimmy Butler rarely passed up opportunities to share the ball. Nikola Mirotic took advantage of his open shots.

Inspired by unselfish play, the Chicago Bulls pulled away in the second half for a 109-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Mirotic tied a season high with 28 points, while Butler had 20 points and a career-high 14 assists. It was the third straight game with double-digit assists for Butler, who is also Chicago's leading scorer (23.6 points).

"My mantra is always to pass the ball to the open guy whether it's late game, early game," Butler said.

Chicago has won two of three games, with Butler reaching double-digit assists and Mirotic scoring 28 in each victory. Against Milwaukee, Mirotic was the beneficiary of open looks with Butler and Rajon Rondo (nine assists) drawing defenders on drives into the lane.

"I just don't think we trusted our defense tonight like we should have," Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton said. Butler and Rondo "did a great job of collapsing our defense and finding guys."

It's an ideal formula for the Bulls to stay in the playoff picture with eight games left in the regular season.

Chicago was tied with Detroit coming into the day, 1 1/2 games behind Miami for the final playoff spot. The Bulls also finished the season series against Milwaukee at 1-3 this season, avoiding a sweep to their Central Division rival.

Coach Fred Hoiberg hopes his team can build off this win with games coming up against defending champion Cleveland and another playoff hopeful, Atlanta. The Bulls also outrebounded Milwaukee 49-34.

"We've got to understand what makes us successful," Hoiberg said. "When we're committed to moving the ball like we did today ... trying to put them in spots on the floor where they're maybe not as successful and when we rebound."

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Chicago had a 23-10 run over the final 8:29 of the second quarter to take a 56-55 lead at halftime. Playing crisp offense, the Bulls shot 59 percent and assisted on 20 of 25 buckets in the first half. ... All five starters finished the game scoring in double figures.

Bucks: C John Henson (sprained left thumb) could be out another week after getting hurt on Tuesday in Portland. ... Middleton, who went just 1 of 13 from the field in Friday's win over Atlanta, was 6 of 17 against Chicago and finished with 14 points.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING

Milwaukee failed to secure sole possession of fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race after being tied with Atlanta going into Sunday. The Hawks lost earlier in the day to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Bucks shot 4 of 19 (21 percent) in the fourth quarter.

"We had struggles there moving the ball, and we thought one person could do it. That's not the way we play," coach Jason Kidd said. "On defense, we're just a step behind."

BUTLER DOES IT

Butler had his milestone day at the Bradley Center, the arena in which he played his home games in college at Marquette.

He broke his previous career best for assists (12) by the end of a pivotal third quarter, when Chicago stretched a one-point lead at the half to 91-79 going into the fourth.

Butler punctuated the second-half runaway with a backcourt steal off a telegraphed pass by Greg Monroe before strolling the other way for an easy dunk and 17-point lead with 8:55 left.

"If I'm not making shots, then I've got to go down there and change the game on the defensive end," said Butler, who finished 8 of 13 from the field. "If I'm making shots, I still got to go down there and guard or make the right pass."

Mirotic hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter, while Rondo scored 14 of his 18 points in that period.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Try to sweep the season series against Cleveland when they host the Cavaliers on Thursday.

Bucks: Begin a two-game road trip by visiting the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.