Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his third consecutive triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks completed their largest fourth-quarter comeback in nearly three decades, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103 on Tuesday night.
The two-time MVP finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, leading Milwaukee to a fifth straight win and handing Minnesota its first loss in six games.
This marked the Bucks’ biggest fourth-quarter rally in that span, as they outscored the Timberwolves 39-8 over the final 10 minutes.
Minnesota led 95-71 with 9:53 remaining after a four-point play by Gary Trent Jr., which ignited a 23-0 run that allowed the Bucks to erase what had appeared to be an insurmountable lead.
AJ Green tied the score at 97 with a 3-pointer, and moments later, tensions escalated between Kevin Porter Jr. and Rudy Gobert, resulting in technical fouls for both.
Trent Jr. also received a technical for his involvement in the confrontation, and Anthony Edwards sank a free throw to give Minnesota a brief 98-97 edge.
Bobby Portis then stole the ball from Edwards on the next possession and fed Porter Jr. for a go-ahead dunk, putting Milwaukee ahead for good and sparking an 8-0 burst.
Porter scored 21 points off the bench, while Portis added 18 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a 25-game suspension.
Milwaukee improved to 45-34 and remained fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, three games behind Indiana with three regular-season contests left.
Edwards led the Timberwolves with 25 points, but Minnesota failed to score for nearly six minutes during Milwaukee’s game-changing surge and managed just 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Donte DiVincenzo scored 24 points and Naz Reid had 17 for Minnesota, which dropped to 46-33 and fell behind a crowded Western Conference pack tied at 47-32.
The Timberwolves, who shot 46.1% from the field, were outscored 40-13 in the final frame and turned the ball over 13 times overall, including two costly giveaways by Edwards in the closing minutes.
Gobert finished with six points and nine rebounds but was a -5 in 34 minutes, while Jaden McDaniels had 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
Milwaukee got key contributions from AJ Green, who hit three 3-pointers, and Gary Trent Jr., who tallied seven points and was instrumental in triggering the comeback with his four-point play.
Milwaukee shot 47.6% from the field and 33.3% from deep while also posting 27 assists and eight steals in the comeback victory.
Minnesota missed an opportunity to improve its position in the Western Conference, where seeding remains fluid entering the final week of the season.
