Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (Image: Getty)
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points, Jabari Parker added 28 and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 127-114 home win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
Antetokounmpo said Parker’s playing inspired him.
”I see my teammate, my brother on the court, my guy, be in attack mode, and I’m like, yeah, this is the night, I’ve got to be in attack mode, too. We’ve got to get this one,” Antetokounmpo said.
James Harden just missed a triple-double with 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, but also committed 11 of the Rockets’ 22 turnovers. Patrick Beverley added 18 points for Houston, who fell to 1-1 on their five-game road trip.
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Milwaukee made 59 percent of its shots, including 11 of 23 from 3-point range.
”We had a really good game last game (at Memphis) defensively, and this game we just let up,” Harden said. ”In order to get where we want to go, we have to be consistent on that end of the floor.”
Antetokounmpo made 11 of 17 shots and scored nine points in the last 4:16. The Rockets got no closer than six points in the final three minutes.
Parker returned to the starting lineup one game after coming off the bench while being disciplined for discussing a players-only meeting with the media Friday night. He scored 20 of Milwaukee’s 68 points before halftime, the most Houston has allowed in the first half this season.
Jason Terry’s 17-foot jumper ignited an 11-0 run that gave the Bucks the lead for good, 101-99. Milwaukee pushed it to 110-99 when Tony Snell hit a 3-pointer with 6:48 remaining. Terry got two steals during that run and the Rockets turned the ball over four times.
”We just turned the ball over a little bit carelessly, and they answered on the other end with it,” Houston’s Ryan Anderson said.
Greg Monroe added 17 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench for Milwaukee, which lost 111-92 at Houston last Wednesday.
The Bucks made 14 of 18 shots in the second period to open a 68-64 halftime lead. Milwaukee shot 68 percent (28 for 41) in the first half.
Parker made eight of 12 shots and had six rebounds and five assists in the first half.
“He’s a handful and once he gets started, it’s hard to turn him off,” frustrated Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said of Parker.
The Rockets next travel to Boston Wednesday to face the Celtics, against whom they’ve won their last three games.
The Bucks will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Milwaukee’s nine-game winning streak over the 76ers was snapped last Monday when Philadelphia beat the Bucks 113-104.
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 25: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks carries the ball against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter at TD Garden on February 25, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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