MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, outmuscling the New York Knicks in the lane to help the Milwaukee Bucks hold on for a 120-112 win on Friday night.
Khris Middleton had a game-high 30 points for the Bucks, who got a head-start on their fourth-quarter surge when Antetokounmpo rejected Emmanuel Mudiay’s attempted layup before the third-quarter buzzer to preserve a 91-89 lead.
The Bucks took control with a 19-7 run over a six-plus minute stretch of the fourth to build a 16-point lead that withstood a late run by the Knicks. Antetokounmpo wheeled his way past defenders to get to the foul line, while Middleton provided balance from the perimeter after his 3 with 5:03 left gave Milwaukee a 112-96 advantage.
New York, which finished a winless four-game road trip, has lost 14 of its last 15 games.
Raptors 108, Rockets 105
TORONTO — Kyle Lowry scored 30 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 and the Toronto Raptors beat Houston, snapping the Rockets’ 17-game winning streak.
James Harden scored 40 points but the Rockets lost for the first time since Jan. 27 at New Orleans.
Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors won their seventh straight in a matchup between the respective conference leaders.
The Rockets shot 9 for 27 from 3-point range, matching their fewest made 3-pointers of the season.
Clint Capela had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Chris Paul and Eric Gordon each scored 14 points, and Trevor Ariza had 13 as Houston’s road winning streak ended at 10.
Pistons 99, Bulls 83
DETROIT — Blake Griffin had 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Detroit Pistons ended a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Chicago Bulls.
The Pistons (30-36) had lost 10 of 12 to fall five games out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Reggie Bullock added 21 points while Andre Drummond had 17 rebounds.
Chicago (22-43) had won two of three after a five-game losing streak. Cameron Payne led the Bulls with 17 points, while Kris Dunn was the only other player to reach double figures with 13.
Pacers 112, Hawks 87
INDIANAPOLIS — Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points, Cory Joseph scored 10 of his 18 points in the opening quarter, and the Indiana Pacers were never seriously threatened in a rout of the Atlanta Hawks.
Two days after a lackluster 20-point home loss to Utah, the Pacers looked refreshed, shooting 67 percent in the first quarter. Joseph, starting for point guard Darren Collison, hit two of the team’s five 3-pointers to help build a 34-15 lead after 12 minutes.
“I’m just trying to go out there and start well for my team,” said Joseph, who has started the past 12 games while Collison has been on the mend from left knee surgery.
Collison came off the bench and scored 17 points in 21 minutes. Victor Oladipo and Myles turner also scored 17 apiece for Indiana, which has won 12 of 15 home games since the start of the new year.
The Pacers (38-28) led by as many as 21 in the second quarter and went ahead by 31 points in the third quarter. They finished 14 of 27 from 3-point range.
Rookie reserve guard Tyler Dorsey scored all of his career-high 18 points in the second half for the Hawks, who dropped to a league-worst 5-27 on the road.
Wizards 116, Pelicans 97
NEW ORLEANS — Otto Porter Jr. scored 19 points and the Washington Wizards cruised to a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, who couldn’t overcome the absence of All-Star Anthony Davis and had their 10-game winning streak snapped.
Markieff Morris scored 17 and Bradley Beal added 16 for the Wizards, who led by as many as 27 points en route to their second straight victory.
Without the 6-foot-10 Davis’ ability to affect opponents’ shots or prolong Pelicans possession with offensive rebounds, New Orleans looked overmatched on the boards. Washington outrebounded New Orleans 49-38, and converted 10 offensive rebounds into 18 second-chance points.
The Pelicans, by comparison, managed just two offensive rebounds and four second-chance points.
Darius Miller scored 20 points and Cheick Diallo a season-high 14 for the Pelicans, who’ll hope to have Davis back for their next game against Utah.
Jazz 95, Grizzlies 78
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Jae Crowder scored a season-high 22 points and the Utah Jazz won their fifth straight with a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, who have lost 16 in a row.
Joe Ingles added 16 points for Utah, while Ricky Rubio had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Dillon Brooks led Memphis with 18 points, and Ben McLemore finished with 14. Jarell Martin contributed 13, while making only five of his 15 shots as Memphis shot 37 percent for the game.
Crowder came off the Utah bench for 14 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4 of 7 from outside the arc as the Jazz converted 44 percent of their 3-pointers.
McLemore led Memphis with 10 points as the Grizzlies were stymied by 37 percent shooting in the half.
