Bucks Beat Timberwolves 112-107 Thanks To Antetokounmpo’s 33 Points

(CTN News) – A 112-107 victory for the Bucks over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night was led by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 33 points and 13 rebounds.

Despite losing, Minnesota remains in a tie with Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference at 39-17. On Friday, the Thunder rout Washington 147-106.

With 10.3 seconds left, Damian Lillard nailed a pullup 21-footer to give the Bucks the five-point lead for the Bucks after Anthony Edwards made three 3-pointers in the final 1:58.

“Don’t let the misses get you down. Under new coach Doc Rivers, the Bucks (36-21) improved to just 4-7 with Lillard’s 21 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds overshadowing an 8-for-23 shooting night. Beasley scored 14 points in the third quarter, when the Bucks defeated the Wolves 36-13.

As Chris Finch put it, “we’ve got to be better.” The team hustled, but they weren’t sharp. Despite Karl-Anthony Towns (22 points, 14 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (12 points, 19 rebounds), the Wolves couldn’t overcome their sloppy third quarter.

As Bucks center Brook Lopez put it, “we just had a lot of energy about us.”.

With two All-Stars on each side and both coaching staffs representing their conferences at last weekend’s midseason showcase, ESPN grabbed the rights for this game. There were plenty of Bucks fans in the crowd.

Two summers ago, Beasley spent two-plus seasons with the Wolves before going to Utah in the Gobert trade and switching teams twice more. During the locker room rally, Rivers held up the stat sheet to emphasize that problem. A 23-4 run spanning 4:41 was fueled by four 3-pointers from Beasley. He struck a pose with a backside wiggle after the fourth to emphasize the 87-70 result.

After a surprising midseason switch to Rivers, the Bucks are still solidly third place in the Eastern Conference. Khris Middleton missed his sixth straight game with a sprained left ankle, further hindering the team’s progress.

Despite winning the All-Star Game MVP award and the 3-point contest last weekend, Lillard hasn’t found his groove with Antetokounmpo on his new team. It was the second-lowest 3-point percentage of his career, and he was 2 for 8 during this game.

All four of Lopez’s 3-pointers in the first quarter gave the Bucks an early lead. Antetokounmpo started driving in the second quarter. Beasley then took over in the third. “Our guys believe you have to lean on your defense down the stretch,” Rivers said. In their first of seven straight home games, the Wolves displayed the dreaded post-break rest.

The second half was probably too comfortable, Edwards said.

SEE ALSO:

Spurs Face Lakers, Looking To Rebound From Missteps