Giannis, Lillard combine for 63 points to top Hornets 125-119 despite 50 from LaMelo Ball

The Milwaukee Bucks won their fourth straight game, a season-high, and sixth consecutive at Fiserv Forum with a nail-biting, 125-119, victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night. The Bucks are now 8-9 overall while the Hornets have dropped to 6-10.

MORE: Box score | Bucks schedule | NBA standings

Unlike their previous two games that featured sharp ball movement and 63 assists as a team, the Bucks were slowed down with just 20 assists – leaning into the scoring ability of stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to carry the team offensively. But even that was barely enough, as the Bucks looked to be feeling the effects of playing not just the second night of a back-to-back but for the fifth time in seven days

The Bucks tried on several occasions to land knockout blows against the youthful Hornets, beginning the game with an 8-0 run. But they couldn’t quite separate and led 59-51 at halftime, with just nine of their 20 made shots coming off assists. Milwaukee also turned it over eight times.

But in the third quarter Antetokounmpo got the ball moving, as he had five of the team’s seven assists on 13 made baskets to help the team to 37 points and a 96-85 lead heading into the fourth.

It set the Bucks up for the chance to put a team away for really the first time all season, and they looked like they could do it right out of the gate. Milwaukee added to the lead with a 6-0 lead to start the fourth, highlighted by a massive block by Bobby Portis Jr. on Moussa Diabaté that led to a Portis jumper on the other end.

The lead eventually swelled to 20, but Hornets guards LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller kept the game entertaining as they continued to hoist shots — and they started going in as the Bucks once again bogged down. The Hornets youngsters went on a 10-0 run to cut a 15-point Bucks lead with 3 minutes, 40 seconds remaining down to 116-111 with 1:01 left and to 120-116 with 31 seconds remaining.

Taurean Prince and Antetokounmpo hit four straight free throws in the waning moments, though, to clinch the victory.

Ball finished with 50 points on 38 shots. He was 6 of 17 from behind the three-point line and 10 of 13 from the free throw line. He also had 10 assists. Miller finished with 32 points on 23 shots and he also made 6 three-pointers.

Hornets forward Grant Williams exited the game in the fourth quarter with a right leg injury.

The 20 assists on 43 field goals are the lowest total the Bucks have had in a game since having that few in a loss at New York on Nov. 8. Milwaukee had come into the game having averaged 27.7 assists as a team in winning five of six since Nov. 12.

The team has two days off before playing the Heat in Miami on Tuesday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 19,000 points

Giannis Antetokounmpo joined the 19,000-point club when he recorded his 12^th of the game on a free throw about halfway through the second quarter. He is the 65^th player all-time to reach that plateau. Antetokounmpo then passed former Bucks sharp-shooter Dale Ellis (19,004) for No. 64 on the all-time scoring list.

It appeared that Doc Rivers wanted Antetokoumpo to rest the entire fourth quarter, but after the Hornets cut their deficit down to 114-101 the MVP candidate re-entered the game for the final minutes. He finished with 32 points on 12 of 23 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and six assists.

Former Bucks assistant and current Hornets head coach Charles Lee put Antetokounmpo on the free throw line to make him win the game there, and the two-time MVP responded by making 5 of 6 from the charity stripe in the final 34 seconds.

There are only eight active players with more points than the 29-year-old Antetokounmpo, who now has 19,020, including teammate Damian Lillard (No. 41, 21,504).

The others are LeBron James (No. 1), Kevin Durant (No. 8), James Harden (No. 19), Russell Westbrook (No. 23), Stephen Curry (No. 29), DeMar DeRozan (No. 30) and Chris Paul (No. 36).

Why has Pat Connaughton not played the last four games?

After playing 21 minutes against Charlotte on Nov. 16, a game where he scored five crucial points in a 31-second span that flipped the scoreboard and gave the Bucks a 114-113 lead with 19.1 seconds left, Pat Connaughton has not stepped on the court since.

Head coach Doc Rivers said after the Bucks’ victory against Houston on Nov. 18 that it was not a benching, or that Connaughton had fallen out of the rotation, but that other players had been performing well at the moment. But, the 31-year-old also hasn’t seen minutes against Chicago or Indiana.

With the Hornets back in town on Sunday, Rivers said before the game that, “It’s not that deep. It’s just that right now there’s guys just playing well. What I love about Pat is he’s been a pro, he’s staying ready. It’s as deep as that.”

Connaughton averaged 17.6 minutes in his first 13 games, his fewest since his second year in the league in Portland in 2016-17. He is shooting 30% from behind the three-point line and 35.5% from the field overall, his lowest percentages as a regular in his 10-year career.

The veteran wing is just the latest player to be cycled out of the rotation for a period, as guard Delon Wright didn’t play from Nov. 7-10 and Gary Trent Jr. was moved out of the starting lineup after Nov. 4. Bobby Portis Jr.’s minutes have remained steady, but he is sometimes no longer the first Bucks player off the bench.

Portis played eight minutes in the second half against Indiana on Friday after logging over 15 in the first half, and Andre Jackson Jr. has played only a few minutes before sometimes sitting for prolonged periods.

“As far as who ends the game, it really depends on game,” Rivers said of his recent rotation decisions. “There’s going to be nights where you want ‘Dre on the floor for defense, there’s nights where AJ Green is playing well. Again, it’s right in front of you and you make the decision.”

5 numbers

00:00.8: Time left on the clock when Gary Trent Jr. knocked down a three-pointer in the second quarter. It was his second straight buzzer-beating triple to end the first half as he victimized Indiana on Friday night.
1-6: Bucks record on the road this season. Saturday’s game concluded a season-long four game home stretch and they headed to Miami on Tuesday for their third Emirates Cup pool play game.
2-2: Bucks record on the second night of back-to-back games.
11: Free throws for Damian Lillard. It was the first time I have attempted 10 or more from the free throw line since October. He attempted 11 against Brooklyn on Oct. 27 and 18 against Boston on Oct. 28.
1,501: Career assists for Bucks center Brook Lopez.

Is Giannis playing?

Antetokounmpo is likely to play as he continues to manage pain in his right knee. He has been dealing with it all season and has yet to miss a game because of it.

What happened last time vs. Hornets?

One week ago the Bucks looked to be in position to win the game in Charlotte, but Giannis Antetokounmpo was called for a foul while defending Hornets guard LaMelo Ball as Ball slipped to the court. Ball hit two free throws with 7.3 seconds left and Antetokounmpo missed a potential game-winning jumper shortly thereafter. After the game, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers blasted the officiating and shortly thereafter the crew acknowledged they made the wrong call. That said, Rivers was still fined $25,000 for his public criticism.

What TV channel are the Bucks on tonight?

The game tips off at 7 pm and will air on FanDuel Sports Network with Lisa Byington, Steve Novak and Melanie Ricks on the call.

Bucks injury report

Khris Middleton, out (surgery on both ankles)
AJ Johnson, out (left Achilles tendonitis)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, available(right patella tendiopathy)
Ryan Rollins, available (left shoulder dislocation)
Liam Robbins, available (left heel contusion)
MarJon Beauchamp, available (left hamstring tendinopathy)

Bucks starting lineup

Guards: Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr.
Forwards: Taurean Prince, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Centre: Brook Lopez

Bucks vs. Hornets odds, over/under

The Bucks are 7.5-point favorites over the Hornets, and the over/under is 223.5 points per BetMGM.

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