Giannis Antetokounmpo on Friday celebrated his confirmation as an NBA All-Star team captain by pouring in 41 points to propel the Milwaukee Bucks to a 141-131 NBA victory over the Indiana Pacers as the Memphis Grizzlies’ slide continued.
The Bucks scored a season-high 85 first-half points and led by as many as 33 before fending off a late Pacers rally in Indianapolis notching a third straight victory.
Indiana had sliced the deficit to eight points with just over 4 minutes remaining, trying to make the most of Antetokounmpo’s troubles at the free-throw line by fouling him repeatedly.
Photo: AP
The Milwaukee star, who pulled down 12 rebounds and handed out six assists, helped fend them off by making five free throws in the space of 1 minute, and while the Pacers got the gap to seven points with 2 minutes, 6 seconds left to play, they would get no closer.
Jrue Holiday scored 23 points and handed out nine assists for the Bucks, while Myles Turner led the Pacers with 24 points.
Antetokounmpo’s dominant performance, including a breathtaking fourth-quarter dunk over Oshae Brissett, came a day after he was confirmed as a starter and team captain for next month’s All-Star game, as the top vote-getter from the Eastern Conference.
It is the third time the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player has had the honor, after leading teams in the mid-season exhibition in 2019 and 2020.
The Grizzlies fell 111-100 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, where the game was preceded by a moment of silence to honor the memory of Tyre Nichols — a Memphis man whose fatal beating has led to murder charges against five police officers.
Anthony Edwards scored 25 points to lead the Timberwolves.
Ja Morant had a triple-double of 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for Memphis, but the Grizzlies finished their road trip 0-5 on the heels of an 11-game winning streak.
In San Francisco, Stephen Curry scored 35 points and Klay Thompson added 29, as the NBA champion Golden State Warriors pulled away late to polish off the Toronto Raptors 129-117.
Curry also handed out 11 of the Warriors’ 40 assists in an entertaining shoot-out that saw the hosts finally pull away with a 31-point fourth quarter.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 15 points to lead Golden State’s reserves, who outscored their Raptors counterparts 39-26.
Fred VanVleet had 28 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who lost O.G. Anunoby to a wrist injury in the first half after he came down hard on his left side when he was fouled as he soared toward the basket.
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder capitalized on the absence of Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell to surprise the Cavaliers 112-100.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points, his fourth straight game with at least 30 points as Oklahoma City fight to get themselves into the post-season play-in tournament.
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