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National Basketball Association
Milwaukee 121, Orlando 106
When: 1:30 PM ET, Monday, August 24, 2020
Where: The Field House, Orlando, Florida
Officials: #14 Ed Malloy, #61 Courtney Kirkland, #19 James Capers
Attendance: N/A

Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo totaled 31 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, and fellow All-Star Khris Middleton caught fire late to push the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks to a 121-106 victory over the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando.

Milwaukee can close out the series with a win in Wednesday's Game 5.

It was the most competitive the Magic have been since their Game 1 upset. Orlando hung around until the fourth quarter, when Milwaukee opened on a 20-5 blitz to open up a 102-83 advantage. Middleton scored 13 of his 21 points during the stretch, including three 3-pointers.

The Magic made one last surge when Nikola Vucevic hit back-to-back 3-pointers and sank two free throws to cut the Bucks' lead to 109-102 with 4:02 to play. But Kyle Korver answered with a 3-pointer to push Milwaukee's advantage back to double digits. Antetokounmpo followed with a finish through contact to seal the win.

Vucevic finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Markelle Fultz added 15 points (including three go-ahead buckets in the third quarter), seven assists and five rebounds. Orlando also made 18 3-pointers, a necessary counter to a stingy Bucks defense that focuses on protecting the rim.

A 3-pointer by Milwaukee's Marvin Williams broke a 41-41 tie with 4:20 left in the second quarter, and the Bucks' advantage held until the break. The teams traded leads throughout the third quarter, with an Antetokounmpo 3-pointer at the top putting the Bucks up 84-81 with 6.6 seconds remaining in the period to spark their decisive run.

Both teams sputtered offensively during the first quarter the Bucks won 22-18. Milwaukee shot 8-of-24 from the floor, while Orlando went 7-of-21 with six turnovers.

The Magic were again without starting forward Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and reserve guard Michael Carter-Williams (foot), who have not played in the series.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Milwaukee   Orlando
Giannis Antetokounmpo 31 Scoring Nikola Vucevic 31
Giannis Antetokounmpo 8 Assists Markelle Fultz 7
Giannis Antetokounmpo 15 Rebounds Nikola Vucevic 11
George Hill 4 Free Throws Made Terrence Ross 6
George Hill 2 Steals James Ennis III 2
Brook Lopez 3 Blocks Evan Fournier 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Milwaukee 121 49.5 17-41 14-21 29 49 5 7 12
Orlando 106 41.4 18-45 16-20 26 43 6 7 16
Upcoming Games
  • Orlando will play their next game on the road against Milwaukee. The Magic have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .415 after a loss.
  • Milwaukee will play their next game at home against Orlando. The Bucks have a W/L % of .772 after a win and .750 after a loss.