Bucks 110, Wizards 103: Giannis Antetokounmpo leads way to rare victory in nation's capital

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Coming off a lackluster performance on Friday night against the Toronto Raptors, the Milwaukee Bucks really wanted to get that defeat out of their memories and replace it with a victory on Saturday night.

Facing the Washington Wizards in an arena where they hadn't won since Dec. 6, 2013, the Bucks got off to a slow start and found themselves in an 11-point hole before ratcheting up the intensity that had been lacking the night before. Milwaukee's urgency had almost a playoff feel, as coach Jason Kidd kept his rotation to just eight players, riding his most-trusted guys for big minutes.

Those players answered the bell, making clutch plays down the stretch and staving off fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back to claim a 110-103 victory at Capital One Arena.

“We definitely wanted this win; it’s a big win for us," Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "We just have to play hard. Yesterday we didn’t play as we wanted and we just wanted to come and set a tone tonight and try to get a win.”

Antetokounmpo's desire for the victory was obvious through his play. He led Milwaukee's charge, scoring 21 of his team-high 34 points in the second half while playing nearly 21 of his 40 minutes after intermission.

BOX SCORE:Bucks 110, Wizards 103

NBA:Live scoreboard, standings, stats

Antetokounmpo navigated the Bucks through a tight third quarter with 13 points then stayed on the court for the fourth — serving as Milwaukee's center for the opening six minutes of the period. During that time, he anchored the Bucks' interior defense and helped turn a six-point deficit into a tie game with just over six minutes remaining.

“Coach Kidd told me, ‘You’re going to play minutes tonight,’ and I was like, ‘OK. I love playing basketball,’" Antetokounmpo said. "Everybody’s fatigued, but you’ve got to fight. You’ve got to go out there, fight and do your job every night. That’s what I’m trying to do for my team.”

But with 6:18 remaining and the game tied, Antetokounmpo went to the bench for the first time in the second half. John Henson had already gone to the scorer's table to replace him, and quickly had to come in after Antetokounmpo was whistled for his fifth foul on a push-off.

The Wizards built a 99-96 lead before Kidd called timeout with 3:01 remaing to give his team a breather and get Antetokounmpo back into the game.

“I just got to be smarter, but I’ve still got to have a killer instinct and try to make plays — that can be shots for me or shots for my teammates," Antetokounmpo said of his mentality upon returning to the game. "Just trying to get it done and try to get a W.”

The Bucks, which had scuffled without their star on the court, scored on their final eight possessions.

Eric Bledsoe kicked off a 6-0 run with a pair of free throws then it Antetokounmpo for a running layup. Antetokounmpo then nailed a turnaround baseline fadeaway to put the Bucks up three before Washington's Bradley Beal sank a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game with 94 seconds left.

At the other end, Bledsoe kept his hot streak going, jabbing behind the three-point line before hoisting a trey that connected to coax a timeout from the Wizards bench. Bledsoe then got foul while making a strong rebound but only made one of two free throws. Beal again responded, this time with a layup, before Antetokounmpo knocked down a 21-footer with 36.2 seconds left to put the Bucks up five.

Tony Snell, who was moved out of the starting lineup in favor of Malcolm Brogdon, then blocked Beal's jumper at the other end and Khris Middleton sealed the victory with a pair of free throws.

Antetokounmpo finished with 12 rebounds and seven assists in 40 minutes to go with his 34 points, marking the 28th straight game he's scored 20-plus. Bledsoe added 21, looming large late in each half as he sparked a 14-4 run to help tie the game going into halftime. Middleton finished with 20 points in a team-high 42 minutes.

As a team, the Bucks held the Wizards, which were playing without starting forward Otto Porter due to a right hip strain, to just 5 of 19 shooting in the final frame. John Wall finished with 16 points and 16 assists in the losing effort while Beal had 20 points.

In the end, though, one team had Antetokounmpo and the other didn't.

"Giannis was Giannis tonight and I think taking another step towards feeling comfortable down the stretch," Kidd said. "Having the ball. Making plays. Finding a way to score the ball. But defensively is the way that we won the game. Again, on the back-to-back, understand what happened last night and putting that behind us and trying to find a way. I thought the guys did a good job of taking the three out late in the game."

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

Roster move: The Bucks will waive guard DeAndre Liggins on Sunday, according to a league source. The decision was shared with Liggins at halftime and confirmed by the 29-year-old guard after the game.

Milwaukee's decision comes as Sunday marks the deadline for teams to cut players on non-guaranteed deals before those salaries become locked in for the rest of the season.

Liggins, who the Bucks claimed off waivers following training camp, is on a minimum, non-guaranteed deal. He played in 31 games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per appearance.

Change up: Bucks coach Jason Kidd altered his starting lineup on Saturday for the first time in six games, inserting Malcolm Brogdon for Tony Snell.

The change moved Snell, who had been in a bit of a rut over the past three games, out in favor of Brogdon, who has been a steady presence off the bench. Kidd addressed Snell's recent issues — shooting 4 of 16 over the past three games and being reticent to put up threes — following Friday's loss to the Toronto Raptors.

“I think Tony’s got to get back to being Tony — catch-and-shoot, knocking down the three and defending," Kidd said, noting on Saturday that the Bucks brought him off the bench in Utah and had positive results.

"Right now he’s not playing the way that we want him to in the sense of being aggressive. He’s looking to drive the ball a little bit to try to make a play for a teammate. Hopefully we can get him back on track.”

Snell ultimately played 32 minutes and closed the game, scoring 10 points and blocking a late shot by Beal to help secure the win. Brogdon had 10 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes.

UP NEXT

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (21-17) at Indiana Pacers (20-19).

When: 6 p.m. Monday.

Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

About the Pacers: The Bucks and Pacers squared off on Wednesday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, with Milwaukee running away with a 122-101 win. Indiana was without star guard Victor Oladipo in that game, its fifth loss in a row and fourth with Oladipo sidelined by a knee injury. When the Bucks and Pacers meet again, Oladipo will be on the court and on Saturday night proved how much of a difference he makes. Oladipo put up a team-high 23 points to go with nine assists, six rebounds and five steals in just 24 minutes as the Pacers stomped the Chicago Bulls, 125-86, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.