MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Bucks 116, Kings 98: Milwaukee moves to 6th in East with 4-2 trip

Associated Press
Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks the ball for two of his 32 points against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the streaking Milwaukee Bucks, who cruised to a 116-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at the Golden 1 Center.

The win moved the Bucks into the sixth spot, one game behind fifth-place Atlanta in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. The Bucks have been the NBA’s hottest team the past three weeks, winning 10 of 12 games.

"We said we've got to end this trip with four wins, nothing less," Antetokounmpo said after the Bucks reached their goal for the season-long trip.

Milwaukee (36-35) went 4-2 on a journey that began 10 days ago in Memphis. The Bucks lost by 20 points to the Grizzlies but bounced back to beat both the Clippers and Lakers in Los Angeles. Following a 117-92 loss at Golden State on Saturday, the Bucks beat Portland and the Kings on back-to-back nights.

"Our maturity showed," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "The trip didn't start well. We won two in Los Angeles and had a tough one at Golden State. But the guys stuck together."

Greg Monroe had 15 points for the Bucks on Wednesday, while Mirza Teletovic and Khris Middleton had 13 points each and Malcolm Brogdon had 12. Milwaukee made 16 of 35 3-point attempts, including 8 of 12 in a 44-point second quarter.

"We talked about our defense being our offense," Kidd said. "To end the trip in sixth shows we're playing pretty good basketball at the right time."

Spencer Hawes filled in for the injured John Henson and had 10 points. Henson suffered a sprained left thumb in the Bucks' win in Portland on Tuesday and is scheduled to be evaluated when the team returns to Milwaukee. No timeline has been established for his return.

Rookie Buddy Hield had 21 points and Tyreke Evans added 18 for the Kings. Arron Afflalo and Garrett Temple had 12 points each.

The victory put the Bucks above .500 for the first time since Jan. 15.

Milwaukee struggled near the midpoint of the season, losing 12 of 14. But the Bucks have a 14-5 record since Feb. 10.

The losing continues for the Kings, who have dropped three straight, 11 of 13 and have a 3-11 record since the trade of DeMarcus Cousins at the all-star break.

The Kings will have a losing record for an 11th straight season and the hunt for a playoff spot has become a distant memory.

Antetokounmpo had a fabulous first half with 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The Bucks produced an explosive 44-26 second quarter and led 69-50 at halftime. Antetokounmpo cooled off in the second half, but he still made 12 of 22 shots and 7 of 10 free throws.

BOX SCORE: Bucks 116, Kings 98

POLLWhich team would you like to see the Bucks face in the first-round of the NBA playoffs: Cavaliers, Celtics, Wizards or Raptors?

Milwaukee is sixth because of the tiebreaker it holds with Indiana (36-35) and leads eighth-place Miami (35-36) by one game. Indiana lost at Boston on Wednesday and Miami was idle.

Chicago and Detroit are both 34-38 and in ninth and 10th, respectively, trailing the Bucks by 2 1/2 games. The Bulls routed the Pistons, 117-95, on Wednesday at the United Center.

The Bucks return home to play Atlanta on Friday night and the Bulls on Sunday afternoon.

Journal Sentinel beat writer Charles F. Gardner contributed to this report.