Rockets 115, Bucks 111: Final stretch proves difficult

HOUSTON - It was going to take a perfect game on both ends for the Milwaukee Bucks to knock off the Western Conference-leading Houston Rockets on Saturday night in Houston.

The Bucks hung around into the fourth quarter, but like their previous two losses this week, they couldn't break through down the stretch en route to a 115-111 loss at the Toyota Center. For the Rockets, the victory was their 13th in a row as they improved to 14-0 when both James Harden and Chris Paul take the court.

“We fought," head coach Jason Kidd said. "Again, offensively coming down the stretch we’ve got to execute. Defensively we fouled some shooters, especially three-point shooters. Harden made some tough shots and then Chris Paul made some big shots coming down the stretch. On the road on a back-to-back we gave ourselves a chance, we just came up short.”

While the final score was close, the Rockets were in control down the stretch and their lead wasn't threatened until it was too late. The closest the Bucks got was within three with 2.3 seconds left when Giannis Antetokounmpo — who led the Bucks with 28 points — put back a miss by Eric Bledsoe and drew a foul. He missed the ensuing free throw intentionally, but Milwaukee couldn't get the rebound.

The Bucks stayed close with the Rockets until early in the fourth quarter when their offense virtually disappeared. It was a four-point game with 10:16 remaining when Sterling Brown knocked down a shot.

BOX SCORE: Rockets 115, Bucks 111

CHAT: Bucks beat writer Matt Valazquez at 8 p.m. Monday

NBA: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics

AROUND THE NBA:Antetokounmpo, James earn honors

Milwaukee's next shot didn't fall until there were 5 minutes, 59 seconds left in the game.

In that span, the Bucks missed six shots in a row and Brown committed a turnover. While the Bucks were struggling, the Rockets used an 8-0 run to build a 12-point lead with Harden — who almost didn't play due to a bruised right knee — cheering from the bench.

“We were getting open shots," Antetokounmpo said. "Again, it was a game like (Friday), we weren’t able to knock down open shots. I think we did a great job just playing hard and staying in the game and just trusting one another down the stretch.”

Overall as a team, the Bucks shot 46.3% from the field and made just 8-of-27 three-point attempts (29.6%). Khris Middleton had 23 points and made 3-of-9 three-pointers while Bledsoe added 19 points but made only 1-of-7 three-point attempts. Malcolm Brogdon was one of the few players who had his shot consistently falling as he contributed 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3 three-pointers.

Following their offensive stagnation early in the fourth, the Bucks just couldn't catch up. Each time they had a run the Rockets had an answer. Milwaukee got within four with 2:42 left thanks to an 8-0 spurt, but the Rockets then scored on their next four possessions, including a three-pointer by Trevor Ariza and a pair of jumpers from Paul, who scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half.

“This was one of our best wins of the season to tell you the truth," Paul said. "I think it just showed the fight that our team has and the maturity that it has. You should have heard P.J. (Tucker) at halftime and a number of other guys who just kept talking about ‘find a way, find a way’ and we did.”

That stretch took the game into the final minute and the Bucks couldn't score fast enough to outpace the Rockets salting away the victory at the free-throw line.

“Both teams coming off a back-to-back, so you know it’s going to be a hard-fought, grind-out game," Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe said. "They made a couple big-time plays down the stretch to separate the game. I thought we did a great job fighting.”

Milwaukee's efforts weren't helped by the fact that it was whistled for a season-high 34 fouls. Houston capitalized on those opportunities, making 34 of 42 free throws.

The Bucks also got to the line at a high clip, making 27 of their 33 free-throw attempts.

“I think the one thing about the fouls on a back-to-back is there’s going to be some fouls," Kidd said. "Both teams were fouling. Again, for us, we’ve got to do a better job of moving our feet.”

The Rockets, which make and attempt more three-pointers than any team in the league, went just 4 of 19 (21.1%) on triples in the first two quarters. That changed quickly in the second half, as the Rockets embarked on a 15-4 run over the opening five minutes of the third quarter to open things up.

All of those points came as a result of three-pointers, with Paul making three — after going 0 of 5 from the field in the first half — and Milwaukee's DeAndre Liggins and John Henson committing fouls on three-point shooters, who made all six shots.

While that run opened up Houston's largest lead of the game, Milwaukee remained undeterred. The Bucks bounced back by locking down on defense, holding the Rockets to just three points over 4 1/2 minutes as they went on a 14-3 run to tie the score late in the third.

During that run, the Bucks coaxed two turnovers, blocked a pair of shots and held the Rockets to 1-of-7 shooting. The score stayed within a basket into the final minutes of the period before Harden, who had a game-high 31 points, made a three-pointer and beat the buzzer with a layup to put Houston ahead by five entering the final frame.

The loss was Milwaukee's third in a row, continuing the Bucks' volatile season defined by alternating ups and downs.

“Just got to stay focused, stay together as a team," Antetokounmpo said. "I think we’re doing a great job playing hard. I don’t think it’s our effort. We’ve got another one, we’ve got another one at home and we’ve got to go get that one.”

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

Playing through pain: Bledsoe started for the Bucks, as usual, but subbed out less than two minutes into the game and was replaced by Gary Payton II.

This was not a planned substitution. Bledsoe immediately went to the end of the bench, obviously feeling some discomfort with his left wrist.

Bledsoe was able to return to the game after 2 minutes, 15 seconds of game time — enough for Payton to collect three fouls.

After the game, he revealed that he's been playing through a left wrist sprain and that the reason for that early substitution was to his wrist wrapped more tightly.

“It’s fine, just a little sprain," Bledsoe said. "But I’m cool. ... It’s something that’s been lingering for a while. I’ve just got to play through it.”

UP NEXT

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (15-13) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8).

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center.

About the Cavaliers: Cleveland beat Milwaukee twice over its first 11 games of the season. Those victories were bright spots in an otherwise difficult stretch as the Cavaliers opened with a 5-6 record. Since then, though, Cleveland has won 17 of its past 19 games and vaulted to the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James has played a major role in that resurgence, averaging 28.1 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds this season heading into Saturday while ranking No. 1 in the NBA in player efficiency rating, field goals made and offensive win shares. The Cavaliers have won five straight games against the Bucks, though the two teams have not faced off since Eric Bledsoe joined Milwaukee — a trade that went down on Nov. 7, the day these teams last met.