Milwaukee’s superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made his comeback following a 15-game absence due to a strained right calf injury, but the Bucks couldn’t avoid a crushing 108-81 defeat at home against the Boston Celtics on Monday evening.
Boston’s Payton Pritchard led all scorers with 25 points while dishing out nine assists. Rookie Hugo Gonzalez delivered career-best performances with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while Derrick White contributed 18 points and nine assists. The Celtics connected on an impressive 20 of their 50 three-point shots.
Despite missing their top scorer Jaylen Brown due to illness and starting center Neemias Queta who was resting, Boston dominated the contest. Brown has been averaging 29.0 points per game this season, and Queta had posted 27 points and 17 rebounds in Sunday’s victory over Philadelphia.
Antetokounmpo, making his first appearance since January 23rd, recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds to pace Milwaukee. The Greek Freak entered the contest averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists this season.
Nuggets 128, Jazz 125
Jamal Murray exploded for 45 points and added eight assists as Denver defeated Utah on the road.
Murray connected on 8 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc, helping the Nuggets end a two-game skid. Nikola Jokic recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, while Julian Strawther contributed 15 points. Denver shot an efficient 54.1% from the floor and knocked down 16 of 39 three-point attempts.
Utah was paced by Keyonte George’s 36 points and four steals, with Kyle Filipowski adding 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Ace Bailey scored 18 points while Svi Mykhailiuk chipped in 15.
Rockets 123, Wizards 118
Alperen Sengun poured in 32 points and Kevin Durant added 30 as Houston defeated Washington on the road.
The Rockets controlled the game after halftime in a contest that became physical during the second half. Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly scored a season-high 23 points with five three-pointers to lead the Wizards, who extended their losing streak to five games. Sharife Cooper provided 21 points off the bench in just 17 minutes of action.
Houston’s Amen Thompson recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds while Reed Sheppard added 19 points and 10 assists. The Rockets dominated the boards 59-27, with Sengun grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds, and outscored Washington in the paint 62-40.
Clippers 114, Warriors 101
Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 23 points in just 29 minutes as Los Angeles rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat Golden State in San Francisco.
Darius Garland contributed 12 points in his first game as a Clipper, coming off the bench. Bennedict Mathurin scored 17 points and Kris Dunn added 16 as Los Angeles won their second straight contest.
Golden State was led by Brandin Podziemski’s 22 points, with 20 coming in the opening half. The Warriors dropped their fifth game in seven outings while playing without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porzingis, Gary Payton II and Will Richard.
