Giannis Antetokounmpo made his return after a six-game absence, helping the Milwaukee Bucks (30-24) secure a 116-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers (31-24) on Thursday night.
Antetokounmpo, recovering from a strained calf, scored 23 points in just under 24 minutes before exiting with 6:27 remaining. At that point, Milwaukee trailed 101-96, but the team mounted a comeback with their star on the bench.
Brook Lopez delivered 22 points, including a pivotal three-point play with 3:02 left to give the Bucks a lead they would not relinquish. Damian Lillard added 12 of his 15 points in the final 6:48 to seal the victory.
Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 25 points, while James Harden had 24. Ivica Zubac contributed 20 points and 15 rebounds, but the Clippers could not hold onto a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Harden reached the 27,000-point milestone in his career, becoming the 13th player in NBA history to achieve the feat. Kris Dunn recorded a career-high six steals, but he also had a key shot blocked by Lopez late in the game.
Milwaukee played without Bobby Portis, who started serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. The absence of their top reserve forced Jericho Sims into action for the first time since joining the team. Sims went scoreless in 17 minutes.
Kyle Kuzma, also acquired at the trade deadline, chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds in his first game alongside Antetokounmpo. Kevin Porter Jr. contributed 13 points off the bench in his Bucks debut.
The Clippers built a 93-80 lead early in the fourth quarter before Milwaukee responded with a 17-4 run to tie the game. With 3:30 left, the score was locked at 104-all when Lopez blocked Dunn’s layup attempt. Lopez then converted an and-one opportunity on the other end to swing the momentum in Milwaukee’s favor.
Lillard struggled for most of the night, shooting 2-for-12 from the field, but he made crucial free throws down the stretch to ice the win. The Bucks shot 85.2% from the free-throw line, outscoring the Clippers 23-16 in that department.
Los Angeles played without Norman Powell, who was sidelined with knee soreness. The Clippers’ bench provided a spark, with Bogdan Bogdanović scoring 15 points, but they were outscored 42-38 by Milwaukee’s reserves.
The win helped the Bucks maintain their position as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Clippers remained sixth in the Western Conference standings.
