Bucks beat 76ers in Doc Rivers' return to Philadelphia

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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 25, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, Damian Lillard added 24 and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the 76ers 119-98 on Sunday in Doc Rivers' return to Philadelphia.

Rivers was fired by Philadelphia after last season. He coached the 76ers from 2020-23, never getting past the second round of the playoffs, and Sunday was 12th game since taking over in Milwaukee.

Rivers was greeted by a chorus of boos from the sellout crowd during introductions, but his team quickly took the crowd out of the game with a blistering first quarter.

Lillard scored the first seven points for the Bucks and finished with 11 points in the quarter as Milwaukee built a 14-point lead.

Antetokounmpo, who also finished with 12 rebounds and nine assists, wrapped up the first half with a flourish, hitting a driving layup and also making a full-court pass to Brook Lopez for a dunk as the horn sounded to give Milwaukee its largest lead at 21 points. Philadelphia never got closer than 12 points in the second half.

Antetokounmpo went to the free throw line more times himself (12) than the entire 76ers team (11).

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Malik Beasley added 20 points and Bobby Portis Jr. had 17 as Milwaukee won its second straight game coming out of the All-Star break after going 3-7 in Rivers’ first 10 games as coach.

Tyrese Maxey had 24 points and De’Anthony Melton added 16 for the 76ers, who have dropped eight of 12 games since losing reigning MVP Joel Embiid to a left knee injury in January.