Giannis and Holiday lead Milwaukee Bucks to 149-136 victory over Pacers

Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo put on a scoring clinic on Wednesday night (Thursday, Philippine time), as they led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 149-136 victory over the Indiana Pacers. 

Holiday set a new career-high with 51 points, while Antetokounmpo finished with 38 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists for his ninth triple-double of the season.

The Bucks improved their record to 55-21, keeping their hold on the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Antetokounmpo’s stellar performance was especially impressive considering he missed the team’s previous game with a sore knee.

Holiday, on the other hand, had a night to remember as he was 20 of 30 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and hit eight of 10 free throws.

He scored 18 points in the third quarter, helping the Bucks score a season-high 46 points in the period and build a 12-point lead.

Brook Lopez added 21 points for the Bucks, who played without their star point guard, Jrue’s brother, Drew Holiday, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury.

The Pacers, who were without their top three scorers, were led by rookie Bennedict Mathurin, who scored a career-high 29 points.

Aaron Nesmith had 22 points, and Jordan Nwora added 18 points.

Jalen Smith fouled out early in the fourth quarter with 17 points, while rookie Andrew Nembhard contributed 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-100, winning their third straight game. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 29 points, while Kevin Durant added 16 points and eight rebounds in his home debut.

Durant, who was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Suns in February, missed his first six shots from the field before hitting a turnaround mid-range jumper in the second quarter. He finished the game 5 of 18 from the field but hit a couple of crucial 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter.

Anthony Edwards was the top scorer for the Timberwolves, drilling in 31 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points. The loss snapped the Timberwolves’ four-game winning streak.

The Suns are now 4-0 with Durant in the lineup.

The Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 116-108 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at their home court. Joel Embiid led the way for the Sixers with 25 points and nine rebounds, while James Harden chipped in with 15 points and 12 assists.

Embiid’s MVP credentials were on full display in the fourth quarter, as he hit a game-tying 3-pointer and followed it up with a 16-footer to give the Sixers the lead for good. Luka Doncic had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists for the Mavericks, while Kyrie Irving scored 23 points.

In Memphis, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Grizzlies 141-132 in a high-scoring affair. Russell Westbrook had a season-high 36 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, while Robert Covington added a season-best 27 points, including seven 3-pointers.

Bones Hyland contributed 20 points for Los Angeles, including 12 in the fourth quarter to help the Clippers pull away. Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 36 points and nine assists, and Dillon Brooks added 30 points. The Grizzlies had won seven in a row and 12 straight at home before the loss.