Giannis Antetokounmpo, aged 29, scored 33 points and secured 13 rebounds to lead the Bucks to a 112-107 win over the Western Conference leaders, the Timberwolves, following the NBA All-Star break on Friday.
Damian Lillard hit a crucial step-back shot with 10.3 seconds left to secure the victory for the Bucks, who managed to fend off a late surge from the Timberwolves. Despite Minnesota reducing a 17-point deficit to just four points thanks to Anthony Edwards’ three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s offensive rebounds and free throws extended the Bucks’ lead to seven.
Although Edwards made two more important three-pointers to keep the Timberwolves in contention, a layup from Jae Crowder and another basket from Lillard sealed the win for Milwaukee. Edwards scored 28 points, Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 19 rebounds for the Timberwolves. However, Minnesota’s struggles in the third quarter, where they were outscored 36-13 by the Bucks, proved to be too much to overcome.
Miami Heat won 106-95 in a dramatic game that included a brawl resulting in four players being ejected. Jimmy Butler, who had returned after missing three games due to a family death, scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds before being involved in the scuffle. The incident occurred when Kevin Love attempted to restrain Zion Williamson, leading to a confrontation between Butler and Naji Marshall. Despite New Orleans briefly taking the lead after the chaos, Miami responded with an 11-0 scoring run to secure the victory. Williamson, the top scorer for the Pelicans with 23 points, mentioned that Love was actually trying to protect him during the scuffle, but the situation quickly escalated.
In San Francisco, tensions rose as Golden State’s Lester Quinones and Charlotte’s Grant Williams were thrown out of the game after a scuffle broke out towards the end of the Warriors’ 97-84 win against the Hornets. Stephen Curry was the top scorer for the Warriors with 15 points in the game against his brother Seth’s team, who scored the fewest points against the Warriors since 2022.
In another game, LeBron James made a comeback from an ankle injury and scored 30 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed seven rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 123-118 win against the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, rookie standout Victor Wembanyama put up an impressive performance with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, along with five blocked shots and five steals. This achievement made him the youngest player ever to achieve a “5×5” stat line, joining a select group of just 15 players who have recorded at least five points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals in a single game.
