Bucks beat Houston; Giannis Antetokounmpo sets new franchise mark
HOUSTON - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 41 points and 17 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped the Houston Rockets' seven-game winning streak with a 123-114 victory Friday night.
Houston had been red hot following the 15-game slide that preceded this run. The Rockets led by 10 at one point and hung around until the Bucks pulled away in the fourth.
Eric Gordon's 3-pointer got Houston within 1 before Khris Middleton scored the last five points of a 7-0 stretch to extend Milwaukee's lead to 117-109 with about four minutes to go.
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Houston scored the next three points, with a layup by Christian Wood. But Jrue Holiday intercepted a bad pass by Garrison Mathews and dished it to Antetokounmpo for a dunk that made it 119-112 with less than a minute left and sent fans toward the exits.
Mathews led the Rockets with a season-high 23 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers. Wood and Armoni Brooks had 21 apiece for Houston.
Bobby Portis and Middleton added 21 points each for Milwaukee as the Bucks won for the 11th time in 13 games.
Antetokounmpo had two blocks to give him 805, passing Alton Lister (804) for most in franchise history.
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Milwaukee trailed by eight early in the fourth quarter before scoring the next 10 points, capped by a 3 from Antetokounmpo, to take a 100-98 lead with about 8 ½ minutes remaining.
Gordon ended Houston’s scoring drought a few seconds later when he made a 3.
Houston led by seven at halftime, but the Bucks opened the third quarter with a 10-3 run to tie it at 68 with about 9 ½ minutes left in the third quarter.
The game was tied again about two minutes later when a dunk by Antetokounmpo put the Bucks up 75-73.
Holiday made two free throws to get Milwaukee within two late in the third quarter, but Josh Christopher hit a 3 for Houston to extend the lead to 95-90 entering the fourth quarter.
Tip-ins
Bucks: Coach Mike Budenholzer received a technical in the second quarter for yelling at officials about a foul call. ... G George Hill missed his fourth straight game with a hyperextended right knee. ... Holiday scored 12 points with seven assists.
Rockets: G Jalen Green was out for the seventh consecutive game with a strained left hamstring. ... G Kevin Porter Jr. missed a third straight game with a bruised left thigh. ... F Danuel House sat out for a second game with a sprained left ankle. ... Rookie Alperen Sengun scored a career-high 15 points
Up next
Bucks: Visit the Knicks on Sunday.
Rockets: Visit Memphis on Saturday night.
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