NBA Roundup: Khris Middleton Nets 44 as Bucks Defeat Suns

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) drives for the basket against Phoenix Suns guard Cameron Payne (15) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., on March 6, 2022. Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports via Field Level Media

Khris Middleton scored a season-high 44 points as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the visiting Phoenix Suns 132–122 on Sunday afternoon to extend their winning streak to four games.

The three-time All-Star also added eight rebounds and five assists on 16-for-27 shooting to even the two-game season series with the Suns. It was Phoenix’s first loss on the road since Feb. 3. Following their late-game rally against Chicago on Friday night, the Bucks once again peaked late, outscoring the Suns 14–4 over the final 3:32.

Jrue Holiday contributed 24 points, nine assists and four steals. Giannis Antetokounmpo also chipped in 19 points and 13 rebounds to record his seventh consecutive double-double, although he was held to just two points in the second half before fouling out late in the fourth.

Deandre Ayton paced the Suns with a season-high 30 points and eight rebounds on 14-of-19 shooting. Cameron Payne once again stepped up in Chris Paul’s absence with 23 points and eight assists. Jae Crowder supplied 19 points, and Landry Shamet had 17.

Knicks 116, Clippers 93

New York pulled out of a seven-game tailspin while snapping host Los Angeles’ five-game winning streak in a rout.

The Knicks stifled Los Angeles defensively, holding the Clippers to just 33-of-88 (37.5 percent) shooting from the floor and 11-of-34 from 3-point range. Amir Coffey’s 16 points off the bench led Los Angeles.

Six Knicks players scored in double figures, led by RJ Barrett’s 24 points. He has scored at least 20 points in five straight games. He also grabbed nine rebounds and dished four assists. New York never trailed and built a lead of as many as 32 points.

Celtics 126, Nets 120

Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 54 points and Boston put together a late run in the fourth quarter to defeat visiting Brooklyn.

Tatum canned eight 3-pointers on the day and scored 34 points in the second half. The effort lifted Boston to its third straight win in a game that featured 28 lead changes and 19 ties. Jaylen Brown added 21 points in his return after suffering a right ankle sprain on Tuesday and missing one game.

Kevin Durant scored a team-high 37 for Brooklyn, in the fourth quarter becoming the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points. Former Celtic Kyrie Irving added 19, Bruce Brown scored 16, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 14 for the Nets, who have lost four straight.

Jazz 116, Thunder 103

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 35 points, setting a franchise record with 11 3-pointers, to lead Utah past host Oklahoma City for its 10th win in its last 12 games.

Bogdanovic was coming off his worst shooting game of the season—going 1 of 11 from the floor and missing five of six 3-point attempts in Friday’s blowout loss in New Orleans. Donovan Mitchell added 24 points and 10 assists for Utah, while Jordan Clarkson scored 20 off the bench.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 33 points—along with eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals—while no other Oklahoma City player scored more than Aleksej Pokusevski’s 12. The Thunder have lost two consecutive games and 10 of their last 13.

Wizards 133, Pacers 123

Kristaps Porzingis dazzled in his Washington debut with two late dunks among 25 points in just 21 minutes, six teammates also scored in double figures and the Wizards ran away from visiting Indiana.

Acquired from the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline, Porzingis had sat out 14 straight games—including his first eight for the Wizards—with a sore right knee. He shot 7 for 12 overall, 3 for 4 on 3-pointers and 8 for 10 from the free throw line in his 18th 20-point game of the season.

Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points. He, like Porzingis, did much of his damage at the foul line, going 11 for 13.

Rockets 123, Grizzlies 112

Christian Wood recorded his 29th double-double and teammates Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green combined for 53 points as Houston snapped its 12-game losing skid with a victory over visiting Memphis.

Wood finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds and teamed with Porter (29 points, five assists) and Green (24 points, eight rebounds, four assists) to carry the Rockets offensively. Wood scored 20 points in the first half before Porter and Green took over in the third quarter, when the Rockets outscored the Grizzlies 40–30.

Ja Morant finished with 22 points and six assists for the Grizzlies, but he made only 7 of 20 attempts from the field. Steven Adams posted 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, while Desmond Bane scored a team-high 28 for the Grizzlies, who are 3-4 over their last seven games.

Nuggets 138, Pelicans 130 (OT)

Nikola Jokic had 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and four blocks, Aaron Gordon scored 28 points, and Denver rallied to beat New Orleans.

Jokic had 30 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime in his 17th triple-double of the season. Monte Morris had 18 points, Bones Hyland 11 and JaMychal Green 10 for the Nuggets, who scored the last 12 points.

Brandon Ingram scored 38 points, CJ McCollum had 24, Jonas Valanciunas finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out, and Devonte' Graham had 12 points for the Pelicans.

Cavaliers 104, Raptors 96

Lauri Markkanen had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Evan Mobley added 20 points and 17 rebounds to help Cleveland snap a three-game losing streak with a win over visiting Toronto.

Cleveland had five players score in double figures, including Darius Garland with 17 points and a game-high 10 assists, Cedi Osman with 17 points and Kevin Love with 15 points and nine rebounds. The Cavs’ bench outscored Toronto’s 37–8.

Pascal Siakam had a game-high 24 points for Toronto, which also got 21 points from Chris Boucher.