Giannis scored 37 points and Damian Lillard 24 as the Bucks held off the Magic, 118-114
The Milwaukee Bucks got some payback on an up-and-coming Orlando Magic team Thursday night at Fiserv Forum with a hard-fought 118-114 victory. Milwaukee (21-7) extended its win streak to six games while handing Orlando (16-11) its fourth straight defeat.
The Magic, led by head coach and Milwaukee native Jamahl Mosley, beat the Bucks 112-97 in Florida on Nov. 11 in the Bucks’ lowest scoring game of the season.
The Bucks have won 15 straight games at Fiserv Forum, an arena record, and the longest home streak the team has had since winning 18 in a row at the Bradley Center in 1991-92.
Box score: Bucks 118, Magic 114
Milwaukee led by double digits in the first, third and fourth quarters but Orlando continued to defend hard and scrap its way back into the game. The Magic led by as many as nine at one point in the first half.
“It doesn’t really matter all the time if it’s ugly, pretty – what matters is being able to build good habits,” Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “There was times, at times, that we built good habits today and there were times we didn’t. Being sloppy, wasn’t in the right position. I think a lot of the shots that we took, they were very difficult shots. We have to be able to create easier shots, more high percentage shots for our team.”
Antetokounmpo had 37 points, which included 23 in the first half. Damian Lillard was 10-for-10 from the free throw line in scoring 24 points. He handed out eight assists, also. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez scored 14 points each for Milwaukee.
Franz Wagner (29), Paolo Banchero (23), Mo Wagner (21), Cole Anthony (18) and Wendell Carter Jr. (11) reached double figures for the Magic.
Giannis Antetokounmpo plays through midfoot sprain
Following his triple-double against San Antonio on Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo appeared on the team’s injury report on the off day Wednesday as questionable to play against Orlando after suffering a right midfoot sprain.
It was the first time he’s dealt with this injury designation this season.
The 29-year-old was upgraded to probable after the morning shootaround and went through his normal pregame routine. He then set aside any concern in the opening quarter, scoring 13 points on 6 of 10 shooting that included explosive moves to the basket.
“I was just trying to be aggressive," he said. "Obviously I get a lot of easy ones sometimes in transition before they get set. But I was just trying to make something happen. There was a couple times I was able to go downhill, a couple times I was able to kick for the three – one from Khris, one from Dame, one from Brook. I’m just trying to play basketball in the best way possible.
"Look, I didn’t start the game knowing in my mind I’m just going to sprint up and down eight times and be out of breath in the first two minutes. That wasn’t my goal. But, that’s how the game was played. I was able to get some deflections, go the other way, try to go downhill.”
Antetokounmpo didn’t appear limited at all throughout the night, leading all scorers, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds, handing out six assists and blocking two shots. He made 15 of 19 free throws, including 5 of 6 in the final 38 seconds. His 44% shooting (11 of 25) was his fourth-lowest of the season, as the Magic played him tough after he began the game 6-for-10.
Antetokounmpo has played in 17 straight games, his longest consecutive games streak since appearing in 31 in a row during the championship season of 2020-21. He had missed just one game (Nov. 15 at Toronto) with a calf strain, a game the Bucks won.
He said he wasn't sure how the injury occurred but said, "I just want to play games. This offseason I was a couch potato (because of knee surgery). Ate a lot of Doritos and a lot of Lays chips, a lot of popcorn, watched a lot of Netflix. I couldn't move. It was the first time in my career I wasn't able to participate for the (Greek) national team and help them be better, or whatever the case might be. Or be worse, who knows. I just try as much as I can (to be) available. I might not be 100%, but I'm OK, I'm available. If I can play the game I try not to take it for granted and I'll play."
Last year the Bucks were 11-8 in games he missed.
Bucks prevent extra Magic baskets
Orlando came into the game as the league’s second-best offensive rebounding team (9.3 per game), which translated into 16.3 second-chance points (No. 5). The Magic also came in having forced the third-most turnovers per game (15.8) which has given them an average of 19.4 additional points.
In Milwaukee’s 112-97 loss in Orlando on Nov. 11, the Magic scored 22 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds and 20 points off 19 Bucks turnovers. It dropped the Bucks to 5-4 and was the team’s lowest-scoring total of the season by far.
Since then the Bucks have improved on their defensive rebounding (No. 5 in the NBA), but there are still times when opponents can create havoc with second chances. Milwaukee still ranks 14th in turnovers (13.6 per game) but has gotten better at protecting the ball since that early stage of the season.
In taking a 59-56 halftime lead, the Bucks limited the Magic to six second-chance points on two offensive rebounds but the visitors did score 11 on seven turnovers. But in the stretches where the Bucks got it going offensively and took leads (i.e. a 12-2 start to the first quarter, a 22-11 half-closing run, 13-9 third quarter start) they turned it over just three times for two points and didn’t give up an offensive rebound.
Milwaukee tightened up its ball handling and transition defense in the second half, allowing just three additional points off six turnovers. The Bucks also kept the Magic off the offensive glass, too, allowing just four more second-chance points when the game was in doubt (Gary Harris hit an uncontested three-pointer off an offensive rebound with nine-tenths of a second left).
“Make, miss or a turnover you gotta sprint back, protect the paint,” Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin said. “That’s what Orlando does. They’re top two, top three in forcing turnovers and then they’re able to convert in the open floor with their athleticism and whatnot. So, one, you gotta take care of the ball. There were some times where I thought we got a little careless with the ball and we were turning it over, but there were times we were able to get back and protect the paint.”
Did you notice?
Orlando’s 6-foot-10-inch center Jonathan Isaac gave Antetokounmpo some issues in the first half. In the first quarter Isaac forced Antetokounmpo to double-clutch on an interior shot that led to a Cole Anthony steal (and eventual Magic bucket) and then Isaac blocked Antetokounmpo on consecutive tries near the rim that led to a Anthony basket. Antetokounmpo went right back Isaac with a shoulder to the chest and a strong two-handed dunk – and subsequent mean mug and head shake back down the court.
5 numbers
5-1 Bucks record playing teams after they were beaten. The only team to win two straight over Milwaukee this season is Indiana (Nov. 9 and Dec. 7).
6-0 Bucks record during their season-long six-game homestand.
49 Damian Lillard’s place on the all-time scoring list after his 24-point effort vs. the Magic. He joined the 20,000-point club Tuesday, becoming the 51st player to do so. But he jumped over Antawn Jamison (20,042) and Tom Chambers (20,049). Joe Johnson is next at No. 48 (20,407).
49.1% Malik Beasley’s three-point percentage Nov. 13-Dec. 11 (54-for-112) before missing two games due to illness. He returned against San Antonio on Tuesday, and though he made a three for the 16th straight game he was 1-for-4. Against Orlando he went 2-for-4 from deep.
"If you look at my history I haven’t missed too many games in my career and most of it’s been because of my kids, so to have an illness was tough for me because I want to stay in rhythm obviously," Beasley said. "Giannis passed me the ball last game (vs. the Spurs) and I didn’t shoot it and he told me, ‘shoot the ball.’ I’m like, what am I doing? Guess it was first game back.”
104 Consecutive games Lillard has hit at least one three-pointer. He is the current leader in that category after Golden State’s Stephen Curry had his record of 268 straight ended on Dec. 17. Curry’s streak spanned just over five years. Curry also owns the second-longest streak (157), followed by Kyle Korver (127). Lillard’s current run is the fourth-longest all-time.
McGlocklin, Johnson, Bo Ryan nominated for Hall of Fame
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its eligible candidates for the Class of 2024 on Thursday, and several people with prominent Milwaukee ties are on the list for consideration including native “Downtown” Fred Brown, former Bucks Marques Johnson and Jon McGlocklin and college coach Bo Ryan.
Johnson, who is eligible in the player category, had been a finalist for the Hall of Fame for four straight years before falling out of that category last year in a loaded class that included Marquette University alumnus Dwyane Wade. Johnson is already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
McGlocklin, an original Bucks player and a member of the 1971 championship team, is eligible as a contributor to the game. Along with an 11-year playing career that included one all-star and two NBA Finals appearances, McGlocklin helped found the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund with former Bucks play-by-play voice Eddie Doucette. McGlocklin also was part of the Bucks television broadcast team for 30 years.
Brown, who went to Lincoln High School before starring at Iowa, played 13 years for the Seattle Super Sonics. He made one all-star team (1976) and helped Seattle win the 1979 NBA title. Ryan coached at UW-Platteville, UWisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
Also nominated are Terry Cummings (player), who played six seasons and made two all-star teams with the Bucks, and Don Otten (veteran’s committee), who played his last two years with the Milwaukee Hawks from 1951-53.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis, Damian Lillard lead Bucks past Magic at Fiserv Forum
