The Milwaukee Bucks scored a whopping 85 points in the first half as they escaped the rushing Indiana Pacers to win 141-131.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was at his best all time, scoring 41 points and grabbing 12 rebounds and six assists while celebrating his confirmation as the captain of the NBA All-Star team.
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But it was a resounding dunk in the fourth quarter that got the fans back on their feet.
With just under nine minutes remaining, a misplaced pass from the Pacers ended up in the hands of Bucks’ Grayson Allen.
The former Duke producer led the field, with Antetokounmpo a few paces behind him.
Just before Allen entered the bow, he looked back and saw Antitokonmo lurking outside.
Having drawn three defenders with him, Allen sent the ball to Antetokounmpo who then flew right off the charity bar and hit a dunk as he went past Pacers forward O’Shea Brissett.
Curry kicked out after blasting the pee! | 00:43
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Fans inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse were stunned at what they saw as the Bucks bench erupted in celebration.
Indiana had cut the lead to eight points with just over four minutes remaining, trying to make the most of Antetokumbo’s troubles at the free throw line by fouling repeatedly.
The Milwaukee star helped hold them off by making five free throws within a minute, and while the Pacers got a seven-point lead with 2:06 to play, they wouldn’t come close.
Jrue Holiday scored 23 points and had nine assists for the Bucks. Miles Turner led the Pacers with 24 points.
Antetokounmpo’s dominant performance came a day after he was confirmed as a starter and captain of the team in next month’s All-Star game, as the top vote-getter from the Eastern Conference.
This will be the third time the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player has received the honor, after leading the teams in the midseason exhibitions in 2019 and 2020.
The win improved the Bucks’ season record to 32-17 while the Pacers fell to 24-27.
Memphis Honor Nichols
The Grizzlies fell 111-100 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, where the game was preceded by a minute’s silence honoring the memory of Tyre Nichols — the Memphis man whose fatal blow led to murder charges against five police officers.
Anthony Edwards scored 25 points to lead the Timberwolves.
Ja Morant scored three times of 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for Memphis, but the Grizzlies finished their road trip 0-5 on the heels of an 11-game winning streak.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said before the game that his team was saddened by the “devastating” news out of Memphis about Nichols during their road trip.
“It was hard to process,” Jenkins said.
“There is so much emotion. We can’t wait to come home to put our arms around everyone in Memphis as they grapple with the senseless loss of life.”
The death of Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, after he was beaten by five black officers after he was pulled over on suspicion of reckless driving has sparked concern around the NBA.
The league, the multiple teams as well as the players, released individual statements offering condolences to Nichols’ family and urging quiet protests as police in Memphis released video footage on Friday of the beating.
Memphis forward Garren Jackson Jr. tweeted before the game to Nichols’ family, “Me and my teammates, still interested. We’re with you.”
The National Basketball Association called the images “terrifying” in a statement.
“While there have been steps toward accountability in this case, the NBA family remains committed to partnering with advocates, policymakers, and law enforcement to work toward solutions to the issues we continue to face,” the league said.
Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra spoke about Nichols before his team’s 110-105 win over the Orlando Magic, saying “This is just crazy.”
Jedi stars again like thunderbolt caves
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder took advantage of the absence of Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell to surprise the Cavaliers 112-100.
Shay Gilgos Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 30 points as Oklahoma City battled to enter the postseason tournament.
Australian superstar Josh Gede played another crucial supporting role, finishing with 15 points from six out of 12, six rebounds and three assists.
This means that Jedi scored at least 10 points in all 13 games in January. According to Bally Sports Oklahoma, the Australian guard averaged 18.6 points on 52 percent from the field, as well as 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
Geddy was particularly impressive in the second half against Cleveland, consistently slamming the ball to the ground at a brisk pace to put the Cavaliers defense under pressure.
“We’ve got stops, and that allows us to go on the attack,” Gedi told reporters after the match. “I think when we have five players on the ground who can handle the ball and make plays, it’s a luxury. I think the more we get from that, the better we get.
“I was just trying to get the rhythm, trying to push the pace going – whether it was for myself or my teammates – and we were getting pretty good.
“We had a good lead early on in that (the fourth quarter) and the pace push was part of that. But I think when we started on the half of the court that we executed, we got stuck on the other end. Both sides of the ball in the last 12 minutes were really good.”
Warriors withdraw
In San Francisco, Stephen Curry scored 35 points and Klay Thompson added 29 as the late NBA champions Golden State Warriors edged the Toronto Raptors 129-117.
Curry also delivered 11 of the Warriors’ 40 tackles in an entertaining shootout that saw the hosts finally come away with a 31-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Jonathan Cuminga scored 15 points to lead the Golden State Reserves, who outscored their Raptors peers 39-26.
Fred Van Fleet had 28 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who lost OG Anunoby to a wrist injury in the first half when he fell hard on his left side when he was fouled while running towards the basket.
Full results
Pacers 131-141 dollars
Timberwolves 111-100 grizzlies
thunder 112-100 Cavaliers
the heat 110-105 Magic
129- Goats-117 Raptors