Khris Middleton had a season-high 44 point total, Jrue holiday scored 17 of his 24 points during the fourth quarter, and the Milwaukee Bucks won to defeat the Phoenix Suns shorthanded 132-122 on Sunday.
In the final three minutes, Milwaukee defeated Phoenix 12-1 to win the Suns’ first trip since Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 in Game 6 and gave the Bucks their first NBA championship in 50 years. The Suns defeated Phoenix 131 to107 on February 10, their previous matchup of the season.
The NBA-leading Suns played without Devin Booker or Chris Paul, their All-Star starting backcourt. Booker was unable to play in his third consecutive game due to safety and health protocols. Paul fractured his right thumb February 16.
Cam Johnson was also missing from Phoenix, just two days after scoring 38 points in a victory over New York Knicks 115-114. Johnson has bruised his right quadriceps.
As they finished what is arguably the most difficult three-game stretch in the season, the Bucks won their fourth consecutive victory. They came back down in each of the three games.
Antetokounmpo scored 19 points, had 13 rebounds, and had six assists in just 31 minutes. He was fouled out with 1:02 left. Deandre Ayton was the Suns’ leading scorer with 30 points. Cam Payne scored 23.
CELTICS 126 and NETS 120
BOSTON (AP). Jayson Tatum scored 54 points for the season — 34 in the second quarter — and Boston surpassed a rare appearance by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn’s lineup.
Durant was in his second game since mid January and scored 37 points to become the 23rd player to score 25,000 NBA points. Irving was with Durant for the fourth time this season. He scored 19 points in his first three-weeks game and his first in Boston since being pelted with water bottles during the playoffs.
Jaylen Brown scored 21 points for Boston after he was cleared to play again following a pregame test of his sprained ankle.
