Bucks blow 24-point lead, but recover to beat Hawks

Jrue Holiday scored 27 points and Brook Lopez added 20 points and 12 rebounds to help the visiting Milwaukee Bucks hold off the Atlanta Hawks, 114-105, on Wednesday, January 11 (Thursday, January 12, Manila time).

Atlanta came back from a 24-point, second-half deficit and took a 103-101 lead on a Bogdan Bogdanovic basket with 3:12 left. But Milwaukee responded with a 10-0 run – including 4 points from Holiday and a three-pointer by Lopez – to regain the lead and put it away.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-low 7 points but added 18 rebounds and 10 assists. Bobby Portis and Jevon Carter each scored 13.

The Bucks have won four of their last five and split their season series with the Hawks at 2-2 in their final regular-season meeting. Milwaukee ended its four-game losing streak at Atlanta.

Atlanta played without leading scorer Trae Young, who was sidelined with a non-COVID illness. The Hawks got 22 points from Bogdanovic, 16 points and 9 rebounds from De’Andre Hunter, 15 points and 7 rebounds from John Collins, and a season-high-matching 13 points from Frank Kaminsky.

Milwaukee’s Grayson Allen sprained his ankle in the first half and did not return.

The Bucks opened by scoring the first 13 points, going 9-for-14 on three-point tries in the first quarter and taking a 39-19 lead. Atlanta got as close as 13 points in the second, only to have Milwaukee go on a 12-2 run near the end of the quarter to increase its lead to 67-46 at halftime.

Atlanta outscored the Bucks, 36-22, in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 89-82 on a driving basket by Aaron Holiday with 5.1 seconds left.

Milwaukee completes its four-game road trip with a pair of games at Miami on Thursday and Saturday. Atlanta begins a two-game road trip Friday in Indiana. – Rappler.com