MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo showcased a spectacular performance with 34 points and 15 rebounds, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 123-109 victory over the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.
Damian Lillard contributed with 25 points, helping the Bucks wrap up a perfect 4-0 record at home during their recent stretch. Khris Middleton also played a key role off the bench, scoring 13 points and dishing out eight assists in just 25 minutes of action. In addition, Brook Lopez and Taurean Prince added 12 and 11 points, respectively, to the Bucks’ scoring effort.
On the other side, Tyrese Maxey was the standout for the 76ers with 37 points and seven assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in with 19 points, while Ricky Council IV and Eric Gordon added 13 and 10 points, respectively. Philadelphia struggled, losing their sixth consecutive game and nine out of their last eleven, while playing back-to-back nights.
The 76ers (15-26) were plagued by injuries yet again, missing several significant players including Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kyle Lowry, and Guerschon Yabusele. Despite these setbacks, they managed to keep pace with the Bucks until fading in the latter part of the game. Milwaukee, meanwhile, improved to a season-best seven games over .500, moving to 24-17.
Adem Bona, a rookie making his inaugural start for Philadelphia, performed admirably, scoring 10 points in 24 minutes and maintaining an impressive shooting streak, going 4 for 4 from the field after a perfect outing the previous night against Indiana.
Key moments unfolded during the second quarter when, after trailing by nine at the end of the first, the 76ers launched a 10-0 run to take the lead. They did extend their advantage to five points, but a slump in shooting allowed them to fall behind by nine at halftime.
For Milwaukee, they began strong, scoring 30 points in the first quarter despite a slight drop in their recent shooting form. This still allowed them to hold onto a nine-point lead going into the second quarter.
A pivotal moment in the first half occurred with 1:11 remaining when Antetokounmpo executed a reverse dunk following a clever pass from Lillard, putting the Bucks ahead 56-50. Middleton then increased the lead further with a step-back three-pointer.
In terms of statistics, free throw shooting proved problematic for the 76ers, as they struggled to convert, missing 7 of their 14 attempts during the first half.
Looking ahead, the 76ers will face the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, while the Bucks will begin a challenging six-game road trip in New Orleans on Wednesday night.
