NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo powers Bucks’ win over Sixers
Published March 15, 2024 11:24am Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 114-105 win against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. Brook Lopez added 19 points for the Bucks, while Damian Lillard scored 17 points and dished out a game-high nine assists. AJ Green […]
Tomas Kauer - News Moderator 
Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 114-105 win against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Brook Lopez added 19 points for the Bucks, while Damian Lillard scored 17 points and dished out a game-high nine assists. AJ Green poured in 14 points off the bench. Milwaukee (43-24) had lost three of its previous four games.
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting. Tobias Harris put up 15, Cam Payne added 13 against his former team and Kyle Lowry contributed 12. The Sixers (36-30) took their fifth loss in six games.
Philadelphia found some momentum early in the game, ending the first quarter on a 10-0 run taking a 12-point lead in the second.
Despite a 7-0 Bucks run toward the end of the half, the 76ers were up 61-53 at the break. Maxey scored 18 first-half points, and the Sixers got 11 prior to halftime from Payne, who was traded from Milwaukee to Philadelphia for Patrick Beverley last month.
Milwaukee shortened the gap in the third, and the game quickly began to go back and forth.
With 3:17 left in the third, Milwaukee took a 73-72 lead thanks to a 16-5 run, its first advantage since the opening quarter. Philadelphia ended the third ahead by three despite a buzzer-beating reverse layup from Pat Connaughton.
In the fourth, it took time, but Milwaukee found some separation toward the end of a hard-fought quarter.
The Bucks won the final frame 34-22, the highest-scoring quarter of the night for either team. Milwaukee went ahead for good on a layup by Bobby Portis with 8:42 to go, and Green sank three free throws to increase the gap to 91-87. A subsequent 7-0 Bucks run boosted the margin.
The 76ers got within five in the final minute before Antetokounmpo sank four free throws.
Milwaukee was without Malik Beasley (back).
Harris briefly exited the court with an apparent injury in the fourth but re-entered.
Milwaukee sweeps the three-game season series against Philadelphia after the teams split a the four-game set in 2022-23.
–Field Level Media/Reuters
