NBA roundup: Bucks get 50th win, beat Raptors in East finals rematch

TORONTO – Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points and 19 rebounds, Khris Middleton scored 22 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 108-97 on Tuesday night in a matchup between the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Eric Bledsoe scored 17 points and Brook Lopez had 15 as the NBA-leading Bucks won their fourth straight and 18th of 20. Milwaukee (50-8) was playing the second game of a back-to-back after winning in overtime at Washington Monday.

Behind by 12 points late in the second quarter, the Bucks rallied to beat the Raptors in their first game in Toronto since losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals last May, completing a disappointing collapse after winning the first two games of that series at home.

Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and Fred VanVleet had 14 as the defending NBA champion Raptors lost for the second time in 19 games. Toronto was beaten at home for the first time since Jan. 12 against San Antonio, ending a nine-game run.

Lakers 118, Pelicans 109

LOS ANGELES – LeBron James had 40 points and eight rebounds in his first career meeting with Zion Williamson while leading Los Angeles to its sixth straight victory.

Anthony Davis had 21 points and 14 rebounds to remain unbeaten in his three meetings with his former team this season.

In the Lakers’ first game after an emotional memorial service for Kobe Bryant at Staples Center on Monday, James opened up a close contest with back-to-back buckets at the rim with about three minutes left. Danny Green sealed it for Los Angeles with his fifth 3-pointer with 51 seconds to play.

Williamson had 29 points and six rebounds in his first career showdown with James and Davis, his predecessor as the Pelicans’ centerpiece. In his 13th NBA game, Williamson scored at least 20 points for the ninth consecutive time, but managed only one field goal in the fourth quarter.

Celtics 118, Trail Blazers 106

PORTLAND, Ore. – Jayson Tatum had 36 points, including a career-high eight 3-pointers, and Boston beat Portland.

Jaylen Brown added 24 points for the Celtics, who sit in third in the Eastern Conference behind the first-place Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors.

Tatum had 26 points in the second half alone as the Celtics built a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Blazers, playing without All-Star Damian Lillard, couldn’t keep up. All of Tatum’s points came from the floor, as he did not go to the line once in the game.

CJ McCollum had 28 points and 10 assists for the Trail Blazers. Hassan Whiteside added 18 points and 19 rebounds.

Thunder 124, Bulls 122

CHICAGO – Dennis Schroder scored 21 points and made a huge defensive play in the fourth quarter, helping Oklahoma City top Chicago for its fourth consecutive win.

Oklahoma City blew a 24-point lead but recovered in time to earn its ninth straight victory on the road, breaking a Thunder record. Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Chris Paul finished with 19 points and nine assists.

The Bulls wasted a pair of stellar performances from Zach LaVine and rookie reserve Coby White. LaVine scored 27 of his 41 points in the second half, and White had a career-high 35 in his third consecutive game over 30 points.

Chicago lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

Pacers 119, Hornets 80

INDIANAPOLIS – Domantas Sabonis had 21 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists to lead Indiana over Charlotte.

T.J. Warren scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half and Justin Holiday had 16 points for the short-handed Pacers (34-24), who bounced back from a blowout in Toronto for a third win in four games.

Miles Bridges scored 17 points and Caleb Martin had 11 for the Hornets (19-38), who have lost two in a row after a stretch of three straight wins – all on the road.

Nuggets 115, Pistons 98

DENVER – Jerami Grant scored a career-high 29 points and Nikola Jokic had a season-best four steals to help healthy Denver beat Detroit.

At 40-18, the Nuggets are tied for their best start through 58 games in their NBA franchise history. They had the same mark a season ago on their way to winding up with the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Jokic added 16 points in a game where Denver led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, had it cut to single digits and pulled away in the fourth to remain the second seed in the West.

Derrick Rose and Christian Wood each had 20 points for Detroit. Rose has now scored 20 or more points a team-high 25 times this season.

Kings 112, Warriors 94

SAN FRANCISCO – Harrison Barnes and De’Aaron Fox each scored 21 points and Sacramento sent Golden State to its longest home losing streak in 19 years.

The Warriors have lost seven straight overall and seven in a row at home for the first time since dropping the final seven home games in the 2000-01 season.

Buddy Hield made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter on the way to a 19-point night and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 to give the Kings their third straight win. Sacramento trails Memphis by four games in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Marquese Chriss scored 21 points and Andrew Wiggins added 16 for Golden State.