Giannis Antetokounmpo was an 18-year-old Bucks rough draft pick
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the Bucks’ first-round pick in 2013. The 18-year-old rookie is a two-time MVP and a powerhouse in the NBA ten years later.
Ebony Cox, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Bucks felt they might have been without Giannis Antetokounmpo to start the extended run due to his sprained right wrist — but he instead missed his first game of the first half with a right quadruple bruise.
But the Bucks kept rolling Sunday afternoon at the Fiserv Forum, defeating the Phoenix Suns, 104-101, for 14.y Straight victory to improve 43-17. He is tied for the fourth longest streak in team history. The Suns fell to 33-29.
Jrue Holiday big bucks for Bucks with 33 points, late game steal against Devin Booker
The Suns looked like a team that had light practice on Saturday afternoon after flying off a late start (9 p.m. BST), and the Bucks looked like a team whose regular game-day routine was changed while both teams worked their early afternoon kicks. Sunday.
A total of 42 personal fouls were called and neither team hit the ball well (43.7% for Milwaukee and 42.1% for Phoenix), so perhaps it wasn’t surprising that the game ended until the final seconds.
There was no real flow during the game, especially in the second quarter after a lengthy video review of an off-the-ball foul on Jevon Carter resulted in one free throw. There was also 17 combined hits missed, five personal fouls, and a technical foul on Grayson Allen in the first three minutes.
Then at the end of the third quarter, the Bucks were whistled for four fouls in less than a minute, three of which were called outs by Chris Middleton. This stretch helped the Suns take a 14-2 lead that put them up 83-77 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. The Bucks went about 3 1/2 minutes to no score in that stretch as well.
square score: Pax 104, Suns 101
But after the Suns led 94-87, the Bucks turned the momentum around when Jay Crowder hit consecutive corner threes in front of the bench from Middleton, then found Joe Engels Jr. Holiday to tie the game. At 96 with 3:11 to go.
Milwaukee closed out with a lineup of Holiday, Middleton, Crowder, Joe Ingles and Brook Lopez, Lopez came up with a key block, free throw and box from Suns center Deandre Ayton, and Holiday drilled a three-pointer clutch to put the Bucks higher, 100-98.
After Devin Booker hugged Holiday to force the Bucks to violate the shot clock with 39.9 seconds left in the game, the Suns star hit a 12-foot fumble on Holiday to tie the game with 33 seconds left. Grayson Allen checked on Crowder for the Bucks’ next offensive possession, leading to Lopez’s tricky pass off Middleton’s pick-and-roll feed.
In the final 24.8 seconds, Crowder came back for Allen and again the Suns set him up for Booker to go one-on-one with Holiday. This time, however, Booker had to start high past the three-point line and try to force his way in, Holiday slamming the ball away from him into the waiting arms of Lopez.
Engels then knocked down one free throw to make it 103-100, and Holiday added another to effectively clinch it.
Holiday led the Bucks with 33 points and five assists, while Lopez had 22 points and 12 rebounds. Middleton scored 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists off the bench. Bobby Portis started in place of Giannis Antetokounmpo and scored 10 points and six rebounds.
Booker finished with 24 points. Ayton scored 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Giannis Antetekounmo out for the Milwaukee Bucks
After a phenomenal recovery on his right wrist, Antetokounmpo bruised his right quadriceps early in Friday’s game against the Miami Heat and walked out in visibly upset.
As of Saturday night, it was doubtful Antetokounmpo would play against the Suns with a right quadruple bruise, and coach Mike Budenholzer ruled him out before the game.
“I’m sure the doctors (look what happened) but we didn’t really talk about it,” Budenholzer said. “I mean, that’s enough where he can’t play today, but I also think we’re confident that’s just a fairly common occurrence in our league. You get hit on your knees, you knock, and sometimes it takes a day or two. It’s really nothing more than that. So, The level of conversations were all kind of along that line and I didn’t hear or go back and check exactly when that happened.”
It is the 12th match Antetokounmpo has missed this season and the first since January 21.
5 numbers
0 Losses in the month of February so far for Milwaukee are in nine games. Bucks were 6-0 in October.
7-5 Dollars score when Antetokounmpo is not playing. The Bucks also own a 2-0 mark when he left games early due to injury.
5 Brook Lopez ranks on the Bucks’ all-time block list after hitting four shots Sunday afternoon.
17 Missed direct shots by the Bucks (0-for-7) and Suns (0-for-10) to open the second quarter, a stretch that lasted nearly three minutes before Grayson Allen made a three-pointer at the 9:06 mark.
19-4 Bucks record against Western Conference opponents.
Game Video Jevon Carter steals the inside pass from Chris Paul
Jevon Carter is known for his pressure defense – especially when he decides to catch an opponent per 94 feet. Not only did Suns center point guard Chris Paul give up the ball, but he had enough quick hands to steal the pass and put it back up for two points early in the game.
Playing the game is Jrue Holiday stealing the ball from Devin Booker
When it mattered most, Bucks point guard Junior came up with a tough time stealing away from Suns guard Devin Booker.
Kevin Durant is absent from the Phoenix Suns
the Newly acquired star target March 1 debut date with the Suns. Durant hasn’t played since Jan. 8, when he was with the Brooklyn Nets recovering from a sprained knee.
Dollar injury report
Who does Pax play next?
The Bucks head to Brooklyn on Tuesday to take on the fresh-faced Nets on the front end of the road and home back-to-back. Networks drive new additions Michael Bridgesand Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Feeney-Smith and Cam Johnson, with center Nick Claxton.
more:This is the longest winning streak in Bucks history
Nickel:Portis and Crowder return to work with the same motivation but none of the animosity
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