MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brook Lopez scored 25 points and the Milwaukee Bucks extended their season-opening winning streak to a franchise record nine games with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the bench, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-94 Saturday night.
Antetokounmpo sat out for the first time this season. He was listed as “questionable” with left knee soreness after recording his first triple-double of the season a night earlier in Minnesota. He did not go through warmups ahead of the game, and head coach Mike Budenholzer said before that game that the league’s second-leading scorer at 32.6 points per game would get the night off.
With Antetokounmpo out, Lopez led Milwaukee on 10-of-16 shooting that included four of the Bucks’ 17 3-pointers. Jevon Carter and Grayson Allen each added five 3s and finished with 18 points and 19 points, respectively. Bobby Portis notched fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 21 rebounds. Jrue Holiday also finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points with 13 assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander connected on 7 of 16 shots and led Oklahoma City with 18 points. Josh Giddey scored 15 points and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl 12.
After finishing the opening quarter tied at 34, the Thunder trailed by as many as 24 before hitting four 3-pointers in the closing minutes of the third. Oklahoma City opened the fourth on a 7-2 run that cut Milwaukee’s lead to 95-85 with 10:22 to play.
The Bucks responded with an 11-2 run over the next three minutes to put the game away.
TIP-INS
Thunder: The loss was Oklahoma City’s third in four road games this season. … Gilgeous-Alexander came into the game averaging 32.3 points, good for third in the league and just 0.3 points behind Antetokounmpo.
Bucks: With Antetokounmpo sitting out for the first time this season, first-round draft pick MarJon Beauchamp got his first career start Saturday night.
UP NEXT
Thunder:At Detroit Piston on Monday.
Bucks: At Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
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