OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George had 36 points and 13 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-112 on Sunday for their fifth straight victory.
Russell Westbrook had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his 16th triple-double of the season and No. 120 for his career. Jerami Grant added 16 points, helping the Thunder knock off the team with the NBA’s best record.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton added 22 points.
George scored 21 points in the first half to help the Thunder take a 56-42 lead. Antetokounmpo missed all six of his shots in the first half and scored just three points, and the Bucks shot 35 percent as a team.
Steven Adams, Oklahoma City’s lumbering 7-foot center, got the crowd amped up with a surprise early in the third quarter. He got a steal, dribbled three quarters of the way down the court and converted a layup to give the Thunder a 64-52 lead.
The Thunder led 82-66 before the Bucks hit three straight 3-pointers, including two from Middleton. Oklahoma City held on to lead 89-79 at the end of the third quarter.
Eric Bledsoe hit a 3-pointer with just over a minute left to cut Oklahoma City’s lead to three, but George drained a 3-pointer in Malcolm Brogdon’s face as the shot clock wound down to push the margin back up to six.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Brook Lopez made all four of his shots in the first quarter, all 3-pointers. He finished with 19 points. … Antetokounmpo had 10 rebounds in the first half.
Thunder: Adams left in the first quarter with a right ankle sprain, but he returned in the second quarter. … Westbrook made just 5 of 20 shots. … F Jerami Grant had five blocks. … Made just 14 of 25 free throws.
UP NEXT
The Bucks play at the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
The Thunder are at the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
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