Leaders of the Eastern Conference, the Bucks came back from an eight-point deficit at the turn of the fourth quarter and spun to victory with 17 points from Lopez (of 26 in total).
Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to consolidate Milwaukee’s first place (51 v-20 d) ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Among the Raptors, 9th in the East, Fred VanVleet was the most prolific with 23 points.
In other meetings, Austin Reaves scored 35 points, a new personal best, and allowed the Lakers to bounce back in Orlando (111-105) two days following the slap inflicted by Dallas.
Against the Magic, the same scenario as once morest the Cavs failed to repeat itself with an equalizer at 101-101 2 minutes 39 from time, but Reaves pulled out all the stops by scoring the last ten points. Everything is possible for the Lakers, 10th in the West.
“From now on, every game becomes crucial and every victory too,” admitted the hero of the day. “The key will be how we approach games. If we focus on what needs to be done, we have what it takes to be one of the best teams in the League”.
Atlanta still in the race
In Portland, the desire for the Trail Blaizers play-off took a hit with a defeat (117-102) once morest the Clippers. The Oregon franchise is 13th in the West.
With 40 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander thundered in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 124-120 victory in the second half of the match once morest the Phoenix Suns, who nevertheless led by 15 points. Despite his 46 points, Devin Booker felt a little lonely.
While Phoenix remains 4th in the West, this success is reassuring for Oklahoma, 8th in the conference with many franchises hanging in the pocket.
Nikola Jokic’s 28th triple double of the season (22 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists) helped Denver, serene leader in the East, win 108-102 at the Brooklyn Nets.
Already qualified, the Nuggets will strive during the last three weeks of the regular season to maintain their rank.
In San Antonio, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell each scored 29 points and greatly contributed to the stunning victory (126-118) of the Spurs once morest Atlanta, which failed to capitalize on its 24-point lead.
However, this does not change much for the Texas franchise, already eliminated. Atlanta, 8th in the East, however, remains in the race.
