Antetokounmpo shines as Bucks silence Westbrook’s Thunder

LOS ANGELES, USA – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds Monday, January 2 (Tuesday in Manila) to help the Milwaukee Bucks withstand a 30-point night from Russell Westbrook in a 98-94 NBA win over Oklahoma City.

Antetokounmpo added 5 assists in a poised performance for the Bucks, who kept their composure in the face of a red-hot start from the Thunder and turned the tide with a massive third quarter effort.

“You look at what he does on a consistent basis, that’s what stars are measured on,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said of the Greek forward who is emerging as a star.

“Giannis isn’t just about scoring the ball. He’s able to make plays and that’s what stars do in this league. From the beginning of the season, you can see his confidence is growing.”

Westbrook had 7 rebounds and 6 assists. His 30 points were a game high, but he connected on just 9 of 28 from the floor, including two of 10 from three-point range.

“We were trying to put as many bodies in front of him as we could to try and slow him down,” Kidd said of Westbrook, whose 16 triple-doubles this season lead the league.

“He’s going to come at you no matter what,” Kidd added. “You’ve got to make it as tough as possible.”

Oklahoma City opened the game 11 of 11 from the floor to lead by 15 points in the first quarter. Milwaukee stayed in touch, trailing by 6 at halftime.

The Bucks were on fire after the break, out-scoring the Thunder 29-16 in the third to take a 79-72 lead into the final period.

Westbrook knotted the score at 94-94 midway through the fourth, but he was unable to convert a string of chances to put Oklahoma City ahead in the waning moments.

His three-point attempt with 35 seconds left was deflected out of bounds and Milwaukee got the ball.

Jabari Parker couldn’t hold onto a pass from Malcolm Brogdon on the Bucks’ possession, giving the Thunder one more chance with 14.2 seconds left to play.

After a timeout, Westbrook brought the ball up the court and attempted to drive into the lane. He was stopped when Bucks guard Tony Snell swatted the ball out of bounds.

Originally, it was ruled the Thunder’s ball. But review showed the ball hit Westbrook’s knee, giving Milwaukee the ball. Brogdon made two free throws to seal the win.

Parker finished with 19 points for the Bucks. Brogdon and John Henson added 12 points apiece and Greg Monroe contributed 15 off the bench.

Although Westbrook struggled from the floor, the Thunder connected on a respectable 46.2% of their shots overall. Center Steven Adams made 9 of 11 shots to finish with 20 points and Victor Oladipo added 18.

“We knew we were in for a fight,” Kidd said. “That’s a very good team with a lot of talented players.” – Rappler.com