Bucks win 4th in a row since firing Kidd
What a difference a week makes for the Milwaukee Bucks.
They earned their fourth win since head coach Jason Kidd was fired, beating the 76ers 107-95 in Milwaukee on Monday night. And now they’re getting forward Jabari Parker back in a few days.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 18 rebounds, and Matthew Dellavedova scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter for the Bucks, who moved to 27-22 and look like a contender again in the Eastern Conference.
“Anytime you go 4-0 in a week, it’s a good week,” said center John Henson, who had 13 points. “Just playing well. We beat the teams we’re supposed to beat.”
The 76ers didn’t have All-Star center Joel Embiid, who sat out to rest. Milwaukee has also beaten losing teams in Phoenix, Brooklyn and Chicago under new head coach Joe Prunty, the assistant who took the job on an interim basis after Kidd was fired Jan. 22.
Still, this is progress for a squad that at times has played down to the level of its opponents.
“We’re just playing harder, trusting one another,” Antetokounmpo said. “Just in general having fun when we’ve been out there.”
Especially when Antetokounmpo is playing well.
“He’s definitely a freak,” the 76ers’ Ben Simmons said. “He’s long, athletic . ... He gets to the line a lot. He’s gifted.”
Dario Saric had 19 points to lead the cold-shooting Sixers, who were 2-for-26 from threepoint range a night after going 11-for-29 in a loss at Oklahoma City. Simmons added 16 points.
“Maybe we left them in Oklahoma,” Saric said about the off night from the arc. He missed all eight of his threepoint attempts.
The Sixers started out having all the fun in the paint, scoring 22 of their first 26 points in the lane. But the Bucks, who focused on making life difficult for Philadelphia on the perimeter, started figuring out how to limit the Sixers down low, too.
Philadelphia was overpowered without Embiid in the middle, and Antetokounmpo picked up his 22nd doubledouble of the season.
“Without Joel, we knew that if we were going to win, we needed a successful threepoint night,” Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown said. “We had to find points from somewhere.”
Milwaukee also announced during the game that Parker was cleared to return Friday against the Knicks, nearly a year after being sidelined with the second major left knee injury of his career. Parker tore his left ACL on Feb. 8, 2017, against Miami.
The Bucks were 11-for-28 from three-point territory, getting key long-range buckets off the bench from Tony Snell (11 points), Sterling Brown (10 points) and Dellavedova, whose reverse layup with 4:15 left capped a 12-4 run to give Milwaukee a 15-point lead.
Dellavedova, from St. Mary’s, also had a personal five-point run beginning with a three from the corner with 6:51 left and ending with two free throws after being fouled on the break following a steal.
“He does so many little things out there for you. It’s not only getting you into the offense, it’s knowing the offense and where guys can be successful or setting screens,” Prunty said.
Celtics 111, Nuggets 110: Kyrie Irving scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 34 seconds Boston Nuggets edged remaining had a host chance and Denver. to struggling win The in dramatic fashion at the end but Torrey Craig’s tip-in of Will Barton’s long attempt from three-point range was too late. Irving finished 11-for-17 from the field to lead the Celtics to just their second win in seven games. Jayson Tatum added 20 points and Marcus Morris had 14 off the bench.
Hawks 105, Timberwolves 100: Kent Bazemore scored 22 points, including a tie-breaking three-pointer with 2:09 remaining, and host Atlanta rallied after trailing by 11 in the third quarter to beat Minnesota. Bazemore’s clutch three gave the Hawks a 99-96 lead they did not relinquish. He added a blocked shot following a steal by Minnesota’s Jeff Teague and another basket to stretch the lead back to three.
Pacers 105, Hornets 96: Victor Oladipo scored 25 points, Myles Turner added 22 and Indiana pulled away late for a victory over visiting Charlotte. The Pacers have won two in a row and four of five. Kemba Walker finished with 23 points and three three-pointers to lead the Hornets, who have lost two straight and four of six.
Grizzlies Evans added scored 120, 17 points 27 Suns points, and 109: Wayne host Tyreke Memphis Selden sent Phoenix to its fifth straight loss. Deyonta Davis and Marc Gasol both scored 12 points for Memphis. Gasol also grabbed 10 rebounds. Davis missed only one of his six shots on the night, part of the Grizzlies shooting 57 percent for the game.
Heat 95, Mavericks 88: Hassan Whiteside had 25 points and 14 rebounds as Miami completed another season series sweep of host Dallas. The Heat did not trail after Goran Dragic had a steal that led to Tyler Johnson’s tie-breaking three-pointer to make it 38-35 with just less than 4½ minutes left in the first half. Their lead went to double digits after Whiteside had consecutive baskets midway through the third quarter.