Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly posted his second triple-double in as many games, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists as the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to their eighth straight win, a 127-108 rout of the host Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Milwaukee never trailed while winning the opener of a three-game road trip. The lead swelled to as many as 26 points as the Bucks’ defense held Portland to just 37-of-91 shooting (40.7 percent) from the floor, including 9-for-36 (25 percent) from 3-point range.
The Bucks, meanwhile, connected on 16 of 42 (38.1 percent) shots from long distance and were 31 of 45 (68.9 percent) from inside of the arc.
Brook Lopez scored a team-high 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Milwaukee, making all seven of his 2-point field-goal attempts. Jrue Holiday, who added 20 points, shot 7-for-12 from inside 3-point range to offset a 2-for-8 performance from long range.
Holiday also matched Antetokounmpo’s game-high total of eight assists. Khris Middleton, who came off the bench to score 13 points, added five assists.
Eleven Bucks players scored, including Pat Connaughton and Jevon Carter, who both shot 3-for-6 from 3-point range while finishing with 11 points. Carter also grabbed five rebounds off the bench.
All five Portland starters scored in double figures, led by Damian Lillard’s game-high 28 points. Lillard finished just 7-for-18 from the floor, however, doing a considerable portion of his damage on a 12-of-12 night at the free-throw line.
Anfernee Simons added 21 points in the loss. Josh Hart scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, Jerami Grant had 13 points and Drew Eubanks wound up with 10. Eubanks, Simons and Lillard each had five assists.
The loss opened a five-game homestand for the Trail Blazers and was their second in a row after they won five of the previous six.
The Bucks next head to Los Angeles for a back-to-back set against the Lakers on Thursday and the Clippers on Friday. The Trail Blazers play host to the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
