Brook Lopez comes up big, Bucks edge short-handed Nets 118-113

MILWAUKEE(AP) — Brook Lopez had 24 points, 10 rebounds and a career-highnine blocks and the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the short-handedBrooklyn Nets 118-113 on Thursday night.

Thenine blocksare most by an NBA player thisseason.

“It was aclose game, and he made the plays that made the difference down thestretch,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

BobbyPortis added a season-high 28 points to go along with 13 reboundsto

help theNBA-leading Bucks win for the 19th time in 20 games.

The Buckswere missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for a secondstraight game. Antetokounmpo didn’t play due to a sore right handafter sitting out a134-123 victory atOrlandoon Tuesday night because of a non-COVIDillness.

Brooklyn’sinjury situation was worse.

The Netsdidn’t have Nic Claxton (right thumb sprain/left Achillestendinopathy), Spencer Dinwiddie (rest), Cam Johnson (right kneesoreness), Royce O’Neale (left knee soreness) and Ben Simmons (leftback/knee soreness).

MikalBridges and Dorian Finney-Smith were the only Nets available whostarted in their118-96 victory at Houston twonights earlier. Neither of them played more than 12 minutes as Netscoach Jacque Vaughn opted to limit their workloads.

The Netsstill made this one competitive, clawing back after the Bucks went12 of 21 from 3-point range in the first 15 minutes to take a 46-24lead.

“We pickedup the energy,” said Cam Thomas, who scored 21 for Brooklyn. “Westarted getting on the glass and getting stops. That was the mainkey - getting stops, getting down and running and playingfaster.”

Patty Millsled Brooklyn with 23 points. The Nets also got big contributionsfrom Dru Smith and David Duke Jr., who are both on two-waycontracts that shuttle them between Brooklyn and the NBA GLeague.

Smith had17 points in his 10th career NBA game. His previous scoring highwas five. Duke had a career-high 13 points.

Brooklyntrailed 99-97 and appeared to have a chance to tie it afterofficials ruled Lopez fouled Day’Ron Sharpe on a dunk attempt with4:31 left.

But theBucks challenged the call, and replays determined it was a cleanblock. Portis scored 15 seconds later to start an 8-2 run thatextended the Bucks’ advantage to 107-99 with 2 1/2 minutesleft.

“Great jobby the arena, the guys in house putting it up on the board, becauseour bench didn’t have a great angle,” Budenholzer said. “It looked— obviously, it was successful so I feel fortunate — but it lookedlike it was clean up top. It looked like Brook went up and got allball.”

Brooklyncut it to 112-110 on Thomas’ driving layup with 46.7 seconds left,but Lopez delivered a putback of Jrue Holiday’s missed 3-pointattempt with 30.6 seconds remaining.

Lopez thenblocked Duke’s driving layup attempt to set up Jevon Carter’sbasket with 16.1 seconds remaining.

“Brooklynwas out there shooting the ball,” Lopez said. “They were doing agreat job shooting the ball, and so just in that last possession orthose last couple possessions, they were doing a great job ofsending those guys downhill. When they kind of give them that oneoption, I’m able to make the read and time it. If he’s goingdownhill with a full head of steam, I can time that pretty simplyto get there at the right time.”

Mills madea 3-pointer with 13 seconds left before the Bucks sealed thevictory with a pair of free throws from Grayson Allen, who had 19points.

TIP-INS

Nets:Nerlens Noel was in the starting lineup in just his second gamewith the Nets. He signed a 10-day contract Monday. The Nets alsostarted Bridges, Finney-Smith, Joe Harris and Seth Curry. ... Theyopened the second half with Duke, Mills, Sharpe, Smith and Thomason the floor.

Bucks:Lopez spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Nets. ... Cartershot 2 of 12 and had just five points. He had scored at least 20points in each of his last two games. ... Wesley Matthews missed aneighth straight game with a strained right calf.

UPNEXT

Nets: AtMinnesota on Friday night.

Bucks: AtGolden State on Saturday night.