Field Level Media
Dec 17, 2018
Giannis Antetokounmpo powered for 32 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame a triple-double from Blake Griffin to down the host Detroit Pistons 107-104 on Monday.
Khris Middleton had 22 points and six assists, and Eric Bledsoe contributed 17 points and nine assists for Milwaukee, which won for the fourth time in five games. Tony Snell chipped in 12 points.
Griffin had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists but also committed 10 turnovers. Detroit's Reggie Bullock supplied 24 points and Stanley Johnson contributed 20 points and six rebounds off the bench. Andre Drummond chipped in 10 points with 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who had won their previous contest to snap a six-game skid.
Milwaukee guard Malcolm Brogdon missed the game because of a sore hamstring.
The Bucks used a 6-0 run early in the third quarter to gain a 63-49 lead. Bledsoe and Middleton made layups, sandwiching an Antetokounmpo dunk.
A Drummond put-back ended that spurt. Antetokounmpo soon made back-to-back layups to nudge Milwaukee's lead to 71-58. Griffin's transition dunk midway through the quarter lowered the Pistons' deficit to single digits.
Antetokounmpo's transition layup gave him 14 points in the quarter and the Bucks a 77-64 lead.
The Pistons scored the last 10 points of the quarter to pull within four. Griffin made three assists and hit two free throws during the outburst, capped by an interior feed to Jon Leuer for a layup.
Bullock's 3-pointer two minutes into the fourth quarter tied it at 86-all. Johnson's 3-pointer a minute later put Detroit on top.
Sterling Brown's corner 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter gave the Bucks a 93-91 edge. Brook Lopez's long shot nudged the lead to four with 5:14 to go.
Antetokounmpo's three-point play with 2:19 left made it 105-99.
Bullock's pullup jumper cut Milwaukee's lead to three in the final minute. Griffin missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Milwaukee outscored Detroit 30-16 in the second quarter to take a 55-43 halftime lead. The Bucks had three players in double figures, led by Bledsoe with 13. Middleton had 12 points and Snell tossed in 10 before the break.
Bullock was the only Piston in double figures at the half with 13 points.
--Field Level Media