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
By Field Level Media
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.
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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.