MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo matched his season high with 33 points and finished an assist short of a triple-double in three quarters as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 143-100 on Wednesday night.
Antetokounmpo added 16 rebounds and nine assists in 30 minutes as the Bucks avenged an early season loss to Portland in a rematch of teams off to fast starts.
Milwaukee, which lost at Portland 118-103 on Nov. 6, led the entire way and picked up its 13th win in 17 games.
CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard each had 22 points for the Trail Blazers, who entered with the best record in the Western Conference and slipped to 12-6.
Milwaukee led 31-20 after one quarter and extended it 72-50 at the half. The Bucks led 109-79 entering the final period.
Malcom Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe added 16 points apiece for the Bucks, who outrebounded Portland 59-39.
The Bucks gained control early, scoring the first six points en route to a 26-7 lead. Portland trimmed the lead to 31-20 by the end of the, but the Bucks used a 9-0 run to boost the advantage to 53-32 with 4:56 left in the half.
Antetokounmpo, who had 25 first-half points on 11-of-14 shooting, sandwiched a pair of baskets around a Portland turnover in the final 2.9 seconds to put the Bucks up 72-50 at the break.
TIP-INS
Trailblazers: Coach Terry Stotts was denied his 400th career victory.
Bucks: Milwaukee, which opened the season with six consecutive victories, has won three straight since losing four of seven. The Bucks are 9-1 in the new Fiserv Forum, the best start at home since 1990-91, when the team won its first 18 home games.
UP NEXT
Portland: Travels to Golden State on Friday for the first of four games against the Warriors.
Milwaukee: Host Phoenix on Friday in the fifth game of a six-game homestand.
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