MILWAUKEE – Paul Millsap had 23 points and 16 rebounds, Kyle Korver added 12 points and the Atlanta Hawks avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season with a 97-86 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Korver hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter after Atlanta squandered an early 16-point lead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s two foul shots with 49 seconds left in the third quarter tied it at 64 for Milwaukee
But the best team in the Eastern Conference returned to a formula in the fourth quarter that had worked so well in the first half, making extra passes on offense and frustrating the Bucks on defense.
Atlanta opened the fourth with a 24-7 run, including a 3 and an open layup by Millsap for a 90-73 lead with 5:05 left.
Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton each finished with 19 points for Milwaukee, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.
For a while in the third quarter, it looked as if the Bucks would rally for a win in a matchup of the two of the NBA’s biggest surprises. Both teams seem bound for the playoffs playing similar brands of team-oriented, defensive-focused basketball.
The Bucks had five offensive rebounds, five assists and four steals in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo seemed rejuvenated after being whistled for a foul, following the call with two dunks that he finished off with frowns as he jogged back on defense.
Korver’s catch-and-shoot 3s from the wing left Milwaukee frustrated in the fourth. Two shots came in about a 26-second span that turned a five-point lead into a 79-68 edge with 9:30 left.
It was reminiscent of the Hawks’ impressive play in the first half. On defense Atlanta clogged passing lanes, disrupted ball-handlers and poked away basketballs.
They lured dribblers into double teams along the sideline, possessions which usually led to bad shots or one of Milwaukee’s 15 first-half turnovers. The Bucks shot 53 percent in the half but still ended up trailing by double digits.
Millsap had 12 points and nine rebounds in the half before the Bucks stormed back in a frantic and physical third quarter.