Bucks grab win over Wolves, tempers flare in N.orleans

LOS ANGELES: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks roared out of the NBA All-star break with a 112-107 victory over Western Conference leaders Minnesota on Friday.

Damian Lillard drilled a step-back basket with 10.3 seconds remaining to seal the win, the Bucks holding off a frantic Minnesota rally that saw the Timberwolves slice a 17-point deficit to four on Anthony Edwards’s three-pointer with 1:58 let to play.

Antetokounmpo grabbed two offensive rebounds and made three free throws to push the lead back to seven.

Two more clutch three-pointers from Edwards kept the Timberwolves in with a chance, but Antetokounmpo found Jae Crowder for a layup and Lillard delivered the dagger with 9.2 seconds let to play.

“That’s what Dame does,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve just got to get out of his way and just let him be great. He thrives with those moments.”

Edwards finished with 28 points, Karl-anthony Towns scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 19 rebounds for the Timberwolves.

But ultimately Minnesota couldn’t overcome a disastrous third quarter in which the Bucks out-scored them 36-13.

Antetokounmpo was displeased with the Bucks’ own sloppy spell early in the fourth. “But we kept our composure,” he said. The same couldn’t be said for the Miami Heat and the Pelicans in New Orleans, where the Heat triumphed 106-95 in a rollercoaster of a contest that saw four players ejected ater a brawl early in the fourth quarter.

Miami star Jimmy Butler returned ater missing three games because of a death in his family and scored 23 points with nine rebounds before he was among those tossed in the melee that erupted ater Miami center Kevin Love tried to wrap up Zion Williamson and the Pelicans star ended up on the floor.

Butler and Naji Marshall got into a shoving match with Marshall briefly grabbing Butler’s throat. Players flooded the court and Heat backup center Thomas Bryant -- who didn’t even play in the game -- was among those ejected as was New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado, who appeared to throw a punch.