Oklahoma City - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 39 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 142-115 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.
Bucks coach Mike Buddenholzer doesn't want to mess with a good thing. Milwaukee averages 128.4 points and is shooting 49% off the field during its winning streak.
"Just want them to keep playing," he said. "I don't want to spoil them. I'll go out of their way."
Antetokounmpo made 13 of 19 shots and made seven rebounds and seven assists. Budenholzer said that Antetokounmpo dominates without forcing anything, and that helps the team.
"If a team wants to throw extra bodies at him and turn him into a passerby, he's ready, more than capable," Budenholzer said. "And people are shooting it well."
Khris Middleton had 25 points and nine assists, and Bobby Portis added 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks, who scored a season-high point total and shot 53% (53 for 100) from the field.
Shai Gilgius-Alexander had 33 points, a career-high 14 assists and eight rebounds for the Thunder. It was the sixth time in seven games since the All-Star break that Gilgius-Alexander has scored at least 30 points.
"He's just a great player," Budenholzer said. "We were all talking about it in the locker room after the game. He's impressive. The ball is a ton in his hands, but he still plays right."
The Thunder have allowed at least 120 points five times in seven matches since the All-Star break. Thunder coach Marc Degnault said his team could do better.
"We are capable, but we will need faster execution, better effort, more solidarity, more competition to maintain that level," he said.
Antetokounmpo pulled out 30 feet of water on the first-half buzzer to give the Bucks a 76-65 lead at the break. Once known as the goalie around the basket, he had the confidence to release his wrists well into the air after taking the shot.
"I've had a lot of deep shots in a game," he said. "It's one of those days when it's gone. It felt good because I've been working on it for a while."
Antetokounmpo scored 18 points in the first half and helped the Bucks shoot 59.2% off the ground. Oklahoma City shot 58.5% before the break. Gilgius-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points and seven assists.
The Bucks started the second half with a quick 9-2 lead and moved up to fourth place with a 105-93 lead.
Antetokounmpo scored seven points in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. His 3-pointer extended the Bucks to 115-96.
Tip-ins
Bucks: G Grayson Allen missed the game with pain in his left hip. ... Ex-Thunders forward Serge Ibaka had 14 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. The fans gave him a warm welcome when he checked-in during the first quarter. ... fell two points short of his season high for points in the half with 76 in the first. ... the Bucks overtook the Thunder 53-36, and dismissed Oklahoma City 15-5 on the second chance. ... The Bucks will host the Atlanta Hawks next Wednesday.
Thunder: Gilgius-Alexander pulled out a 28-foot 3-pointer in the first quarter with 5.0 seconds to end a 13-point, six assist opening period. ... Rookie Lindy Waters III scored a career-high 16 points. ... Rookie G. Trey Mann left the game early due to an ankle injury. He returned and finished with 11 points in 29 minutes. ... Oklahoma City's No. 2 scorer Lou Dort will miss the rest of the season following surgery to repair a cartilage tear in his left shoulder. Dort added Ty Jerome and Mike Masala to reserve as Thunder players who had procedures on Tuesday, the team announced. Dort, a well-established defensive guard, stepped up his offensive game this season and averaged 17.2 points. The team stated that they expected to return to full basketball activities before the next season.