The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Detroit Pistons, 126-117, on the road on Monday night behind 34 points from Khris Middleton.
Milwaukee (54-21) has dominated its Central Division adversary, winning all four games in the season series and 17 of the previous 18. The Tigers (16-59) have dropped six straight and 17 of their previous 18 contests.
For the Bucks, Jevon Carter scored 22 points, and Brook Lopez added 24 points and 14 boards. In addition to his 21 points, Bobby Portis also pulled down 14 boards.
The Pistons were led by Jaden Ivey, who scored 32 points and added eight boards and eight assists. Marvin Bagley III scored 16 points and grabbed nine boards, and Jalen Duren finished with 18 points and 10 boards. Killian Hayes and James Wiseman each scored 14 points to help the cause.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, a star player for the Bucks, didn’t play because of soreness in his right knee. Jrue Holiday skipped last night’s performance for reasons of his own. Once again, the Pistons were without a plethora of starters due to various injuries.
After Milwaukee went on a 14-3 run to start the second quarter, Detroit went on an 11-2 run to conclude the half and cut the deficit to three points, 57-51.
Middleton’s 17 points were the most among four Bucks in double digits, while Ivey’s 11 led the Pistons in the opening period.
The majority of the third quarter was spent with Milwaukee’s lead hovering around ten points. The Pistons were behind by nine points (74-69) before Isaiah Livers hit a 3-pointer. At 78-77, with 5:12 remaining, Bagley hit a 3-pointer to get the Bulldogs within one.
Even though Lopez scored six points in the final four minutes of the third, Detroit only trailed 94-90 going into the fourth thanks to two baskets from the paint by Duren.
With 9:30 remaining, Carter made a 3-pointer to put the Bucks up 102-95. A basket by Lopez under a minute later increased the lead to 11 points, 106-95.
The margin ballooned to 14 after another Carter 3-pointer, prompting a timeout from Detroit. Two Ivey free throws with 3:29 left brought the Pistons’ deficit back down to single digits.
With 1:32 remaining, Middleton converted a three-point play to increase the advantage to 12. Explore here at toponlinesportsbetting.ph to learn the latest NBA news and updates for your favorite teams and players.
