Home Foreign Record 3-point night helps Jazz win 131-118 at Milwaukee

Record 3-point night helps Jazz win 131-118 at Milwaukee

January 9, 2021

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, while Khris Middleton had 31 points and 10 rebounds. Jrue Holiday scored 17 points, Brook Lopez had 12 and Donte DiVincenzo added 11.

The Bucks (5-4) had won their first four home games by an average of 23.5 points but trailed nearly the whole way this time. The Jazz ended a two-game skid after double-digit losses at Brooklyn and New York.

“Certainly they played well,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “They executed their offense well. They shared it well. They made shots well. And on top of that, when they did miss, it felt like they were on the offensive boards all night.”

Utah broke open a close game by scoring the first 12 points of the fourth quarter to grab a 116-96 edge. The Bucks didn’t score their first points of the final period until Antetokounmpo dunked with 6:47 left.

“That’s the team we have to be,” Mitchell said. “The last two games, last few games, don’t really represent who we are. We have to stay at that level. We can’t bring it against Milwaukee and not bring it against New York.”

TIP-INS

Jazz: Clarkson’s big night continued his productive season off the bench as he improved his scoring average to 16.7. Heading into Friday’s action, Orlando’s Terrence Ross was the only NBA reserve with a higher scoring average.

Bucks: Milwaukee didn’t get nearly enough from its bench. All five of the Bucks’ starters had at least 11 points, but Utah had a 35-12 edge in bench scoring. Milwaukee’s reserves shot a combined 4 of 18 overall and 0 of 8 from beyond the arc.

SCARY MOMENT

Antetokounmpo took a bad fall with 9:30 left in the third quarter, as he leaped in front of the basket to defend Utah’s Rudy Gobert and landed hard on his front side.

The two-time reigning MVP rolled around and grabbed his left side. He went into the tunnel but immediately returned to the game.

INGLES’ STREAK SNAPPED

Utah’s Joe Ingles didn’t play due to a sore right Achilles tendon, snapping what had been the NBA’s longest active streak of consecutive games played. Ingles had appeared in 384 straight games.

This marked the first game Ingles has missed since Dec. 16, 2015.

“It makes you pause for a second and you reflect on what a streak of consecutive games like that means and what it says about Joe — his toughness, his commitment, the type of teammate he is,” Snyder said before the game. “You pause and reflect for a second and you understand why you respect him like you do.”