Giannis Antetokounmpo compiled 44 points, 15 rebounds and eight rebounds as the visiting Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to four games with a 131-116 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Bobby Portis added 23 points for Milwaukee, which shot 54.2 percent from the floor and led by as many as 30 points in the third quarter. Khris Middleton scored 21 points, Jrue Holiday had 15 points and 10 assists and Grayson Allen added 12 points.
Antetokounmpo made his first 11 shots and finished 17 of 20 on field-goal attempts.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 points and eight assists. Anthony Davis had 22 points and nine rebounds. Malik Monk scored 20 points, Stanley Johnson added 16 and Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves had 10 apiece. Westbrook pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.
The Lakers rallied within 118-108 when Monk scored with 5:05 remaining to cap a 25-9 run, but Milwaukee quickly regained control in the final minutes.
Los Angeles lost for the fifth time in the past seven games, while Milwaukee moved a season-high 14 games over .500.
The Lakers took a brief 12-10 lead on Monk’s trey with 8:14 left in the first quarter before Milwaukee took control and never looked back. Antetokounmpo scored 13 points in the quarter to help the Bucks take a 38-24 lead.
The Bucks took a commanding 78-56 lead into halftime behind Antetokounmpo and Middleton, who scored a combined 44 points.
Milwaukee set a season-high point total in the first half while shooting 68.2 percent from the field and 9 of 16 (56.3 percent) from 3-point range.
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The onslaught continued after the break and the Bucks extended their lead to 99-69 on Portis’ 3-pointer with 6:05 left in the third quarter.
Antetokounmpo, who scored a season-high 47 points in the Bucks’ 107-102 home win over the Lakers on Nov. 17, dunked with 11:18 remaining to put the Bucks ahead 113-88.
Milwaukee won its third straight meeting against the Lakers, who played without Carmelo Anthony (hamstring) and Dwight Howard (back).
Milwaukee improved to 18-0 this season when scoring at least 120 points. The Bucks have scored an average of 135 points over their past three games.
–Field Level Media