Milwaukee, Jan. 2 (BNA): Rui Hachimura scored 26 points and Kristaps Porzingis scored 22. The Washington Wizards defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 118-95 Sunday night for their fifth consecutive win.
The Brawl Bucks played without Giannis Antitekounmo, who sat out due to soreness in his left knee. Antetokounmpo averaged 38 points and 14.6 rebounds over the last six games, which included a 43-point, 20-rebound performance in Friday night’s win over Minnesota that snapped Milwaukee’s four-game losing streak, AP reports.
Jrue Holiday also missed the match due to illness, and Chris Middleton sat out the eighth consecutive match due to a soreness in his right knee.
“Your goal is to control who’s in front of you,” said Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma. “If men don’t play, those teams are supposed to beat.”
Daniel Gafford scored 17 points for the Wizards (17-21), who weren’t at full strength either. They played without leading scorer Bradley Bell, who suffers from a sore left hamstring.
Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jevon Carter scored 14 points and Grayson Allen added 13 points and eight assists.
Washington led 34-17 after the first quarter, with Gafford leading by 13 points, as the Wizards took advantage of a two-center lineup with Bucks big man Brook Lopez benched early with a bad tackle.
“I was just sticking to the flow of the game, having the confidence and starting the shots I was taking,” Gafford said. “I felt comfortable taking those shots.”
Milwaukee shot 26% overall and only 3 of 14 from long range in that period, while the Wizards connected on half of their shots.
“We took advantage whenever we got the chance,” Gafford said of the size advantage. “Whoever went to the basket, we got the bucket. They didn’t have a lot of lead blockers, so we attacked the basket.”
Washington had 72 points in the paint.
“This is a bit unusual and not the norm,” Bucks coach Mike Bodenholzer said. “We usually protect the edge and protect the paint well.”
Two quick first quarter errors on Lopez caused problems for the Bucks.
“I think his early foul problem kicked us out a bit,” said Budenholzer.
Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said his team’s efforts on defense set the tone.
“We entered the defense early in the game and this helped us reach this lead,” he said.
The Wizards drove by 26 in the second quarter and took a 68-50 halftime advantage. Washington shot 57.4% in the first half, while Milwaukee hit only 34.6% of its shots.
Washington remained easily in control throughout the second half as the cold-shooting Bucks failed to land any sustained runs.
Tip-ins
Wizards: F Taj Gibson sat out for the second straight game with a sore left groin. “We don’t want to push it to the point where this could be something that could go on for much longer than it should,” Unseld said. Gafford, who averaged 7.1 points per game, scored Washington’s first eight points.
Bucks: George Hill missed the game due to illness. Joe Ingles was assessed a technical foul in the first quarter after exchanging words with Porzingis, who also received a technical. Milwaukee lost for only the fourth time in 19 home games this season.
distant memory
With five straight wins, The Wizards snapped a 10-game losing streak that began in November and stretched through mid-December. “Not to overreact, we are now back and making some gains,” Porcingis said. “We have some good rhythm.”
Next
The two teams face each other again on Tuesday night in Milwaukee.