UNEXPECTED RUDY GOBERT COULD COMPLETELY RESHAPE THE CELTICS' IDENTITY

A trade for Giannis may not be in the cards, but the Celtics could build an intimidating defense around Rudy Gobert.

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Even if the Celtics don’t trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, there’s reason to believe Brad Stevens will be aggressive on the trade market to reshape the team. Regardless of what else they do, there’s a strong sentiment out there that Boston needs to improve at the center position. A stretch-big who can protect the rim would be optimal, but those guys don’t really exist on the market.

One player who may be available, and has perhaps even become a bit underrated, is Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves. Rudy is one of the best defensive players of all time and can single-handedly anchor an elite defense, as he did in Utah for years before doing so again in Minnesota.

But after a second-round exit, the Wolves are looking to change things up, and that may mean parting with the four-time Defensive Player of the Year. This goes along with recent reports that the Wolves are interested in Derrick White and that the Celtics are interested in Gobert.

Parting with White would leave the Celtics without their best defensive player, but if it were a deal for Gobert, that may be one of the few possible upgrades in the entire league. A one-for-one swap works money-wise, and in the sense that the Wolves badly need a guard to take away some responsibilities from Anthony Edwards and the Celtics need a center, this deal could have some legs.

Celtics defense would be scary with Rudy Gobert manning the back line

In Gobert, Boston would be getting arguably the best defender in the world outside of Victor Wembanyama. He would slot in with Jayson Tatum and other strong perimeter defenders and be able to anchor the back line and clean up the glass. With Neemias Queta transitioning into a super-sub role, the Celtics should have 48 minutes a night of elite defensive play from the center position.

The offense is the concern for Rudy, but he is an elite screen setter and would create absurd driving lanes for the Jays and Payton Pritchard. Brad Stevens preached the desire to add rim pressure, and while Gobert won’t do that as a ball-handler, he can provide that in spades with his screening and rim-running.

Boston would certainly need to add to the backcourt after sending White away for a big man, but they could use their trade exceptions and mid-level exception on that front. Plus, having a presence in the back like Rudy would give the Cs more wiggle room to add offense-first guards.

This deal is far from a no-brainer, but it’s the kind of shake-up that may be needed for both sides. Other holes would need to be filled, but Boston would almost assuredly boast one of the league’s best defenses for the foreseeable future.

- Ben Handler

CADE CUNNINGHAM BECOMES SIXTH ACTIVE NBA PLAYER TO GET A NIKE SIGNATURE SHOE

Only five other active NBA players have a signature Nike sneaker line. Michael Reaves / Getty Images

As Detroit Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham sat across from Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant, someone he grew up watching in Arlington, Texas, a firm dap between the two Nike athletes solidified what seemed to be brewing since last season.

Cunningham confirmed to Durant that Nike is lining up a signature shoe for him that is set to debut in the spring of 2027. The 24-year-old joins Durant, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant and Devin Booker as the only active NBA players with Nike signature shoes. (Jordan Brand, a subsidiary of Nike, has signature shoes for Jayson Tatum, Luka Dončić and Zion Williamson.)

“I don’t got no words about it, bro,” Cunningham said to Durant in a video released by Boardroom, the sports, business and entertainment media brand founded by Durant and agent Rich Kleiman. “It’s a dream come true, bro.”

Nike has been making Cunningham player edition G.T. Cut shoes with his logo on the heel since last season. Cunningham debuted various colorways throughout the calendar year and had a new colorway as recently as Nov. 10, when he scored a career-high 46 points against the Washington Wizards.

While Cunningham has missed the Pistons’ last two games with a hip contusion, he is on pace for another career season, averaging 27.5 points, 9.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He has spearheaded Detroit’s 11-2 start and revitalized the Pistons’ franchise in the process.

Durant and Cunningham reflected on a conversation they had over the summer about the gravity of the situation. As Cunningham thought back on the conversation, Durant beamed with excitement.

“We were just talking about the Nike game and what it means,” Durant said. “How important that is to us. For you to get your own shoe, and for you to have a legacy. Do you know how big that is, bruh?”

Durant went on to give Cunningham props for having “one of the coldest logos” he’s ever seen, and encouraged Cunningham to be as hands-on during the design process as possible.

After the Pistons’ 28-game losing streak during the 2023-24 season, Monday’s Nike announcement felt like the culmination of the turbulent beginning to his NBA career. Cunningham is now officially slated to become one of the faces of Nike Basketball.

- Hunter Patterson

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO MAKES NBA HISTORY

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the FIRST PLAYER in NBA history to have 70/30/30 over any 2-game span since Wilt Chamberlain (1968).

GIANNIS MAKES HISTORY | FIRST PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY WITH 35/20/17 | MILWAUKEE BUCKS

 

POINTS PER GAME LEADERS | NBA 2024-25 SEASON

 

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO CARRIES RED-HOT BUCKS TO NBA CUP TITLE

USA TODAY Sports

LAS VEGAS -- Everyone has a lucky number in Las Vegas. For the Milwaukee Bucks, it was 3.

And the NBA Cup was their prize.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points to go along with 19 rebounds and 10 assists, Damian Lillard added 23 points and the Bucks connected on 17 3-pointers on their way to beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 in the NBA Cup title game Tuesday night.

Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 13 for the Bucks, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers as the only champions of the 2-year-old event. A 19-5 Milwaukee run in the second half turned what was a five-point game into a 19-point lead early in the fourth, and the Bucks kept control the rest of the way.

"It's great, it's great for our team," Antetokounmpo said. "We're getting better. ... We know we're leaving Vegas as a better team. I'm so proud of this group. Man, I'm so proud of this group."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 and Jalen Williams added 18 for the Thunder, who had scored at least 99 points in every game this season. But they sputtered in plenty of ways Tuesday, getting outscored 51-15 from beyond the arc and shooting only 34% from the floor.

Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which was held to 31 points after halftime.

"We did some good things. We outscored them in the paint so obviously we did the job defensively on that end," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "But obviously a tough night offensively all the way around for us. We didn't score nearly enough points, especially in the second half, to give ourselves a chance to win. But we can learn from it, move forward here."

It's a game that counted only for tournament purposes. There was about $300,000 in additional bonus money for Bucks players -- they got $514,971 apiece, while the Thunder players got $205,988 each -- but the win, the loss and the statistics from the game won't count toward the regular season.

Mired toward the bottom of the NBA after a 2-8 start, the Bucks have been on a tear since. This was their 13th win in their past 16 games, even though it won't be part of the official record.

No matter: When the Bucks emptied their bench with 1:37 left, Antetokounmpo pumped his fists as if it were a true championship moment.

He has won bigger games -- he and the Bucks captured the 2021 NBA title, after all. But they said from the outset of this tournament that the NBA Cup championship was a priority.

And they left no doubt in the end.

"We struggled coming out of the gates," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "No one here doubted what we can be and who we can be and we just hung in there. We stuck together and this is the byproduct of a team sticking together. But we still have work to do."

Antetokounmpo was even more succinct: "Job's not done," he said.

His point was clear: There's another title to chase. But this was still a trophy moment to celebrate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

GIANNIS ' WINNING PLAYS' PUT BUCKS IN NBA CUP TITLE GAME

 

LAS VEGAS -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and finished an assist shy of a triple-double, but it was his "winning plays" down the stretch that helped will the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday to clinch a spot in the NBA Cup championship game.

Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 blocks, including a spectacular rejection of an alley-oop dunk from Clint Capela at the rim with 2:35 remaining in the game, preserving what was then a five-point Bucks lead. Antetokounmpo also drew praise from his teammates and coaching staff for diving on a loose ball to secure a steal and prevent the ball from going out of bounds with about 6:30 remaining in the fourth.

"Winning plays," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the game. "You can't script any of that stuff before the game, but you just got to keep teaching that it just takes what it takes every night."

Milwaukee advances to the championship game on Tuesday night, avenging a loss in last season's semifinals in Las Vegas to the Pacers. The Bucks are 11-1 all time in NBA Cup games and will face the winner of Houston/Oklahoma City.

"I'll do whatever it takes to win a game," Antetokounmpo said after the game. "I'm happy that I did, because I feel like it translated to the whole team. You got to do whatever is necessary to close this one out. I'm just proud of my teammates. The way we started the game, we kind of set the tone that we were here to compete."

Several Bucks players said the team arrived to Las Vegas more focused this season, ready to settle what Antetokounmpo called "unfinished business" from last season, but also to take care of business in an atmosphere that would simulate a playoff game.

"We probably looked a little sharper this time around," said Bucks star Damian Lillard, who added 25 points and seven assists. "This time we came into it remembering our last experience. We came correct. We knew it wasn't going to be easy playing against a good team, but we prepared, and it just felt familiar."

The Hawks actually had the lead heading into the fourth quarter, thanks to a masterful performance from Trae Young, who had 14 points in the third period. But Milwaukee outscored Atlanta 12-3 during clutch time to seal the win. Young finished with 35 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds, and although the Hawks were preparing to go home after the loss, Young said he was proud of what the team had accomplished by making a run to the Cup semifinals.

"What we have done in this Cup was really, really special, really good," Young said. "We've really found the way we want to play and figured out the tempo we want to play at.

"It's been good. I feel like this Cup was really good for us. For a young team to go as far as we did, we can really use this as hopefully momentum going into the rest of the season."

Making it to the championship was also an accomplishment for the Bucks, especially considering they started the season with a 2-8 record through their first 10 games. But also Rivers made it clear for weeks that the Bucks were taking aim at the NBA Cup and planned on winning it.

"It's a competition, man, and you want your team to be competitive," Rivers said. "You want them to accept the challenge, that's all I've been talking about.... That's what I'm proud of for our guys.

Even in the aftermath of their victory Saturday, Antetokounmpo offered his team a reminder that they still had one more game to win and take home the championship, invoking another late NBA legend: Kobe Bryant when he said "the job's not finished."

"The only thing that matters right here is to get a win, and that's the message within our team right now," Antetokounmpo said. "Everybody got to stay locked in. Everybody got to stay locked in; the job's not done."

- Jamal Collier, ESPN

DARIOUS GARLAND SCORES 39, CAVS IMPROVE TO 8-0 WITH 116-114 WIN OVER STRUGGLING BUCKS WITHOUT GIANNIS

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) goes to the basket past Milwaukee Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. (44) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

CLEVELAND -- — Darius Garland scored 39 points, Evan Mobley added 17 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 8-0 with a 116-114 win on Monday night over the Milwaukee Bucks, who played without injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Cavs also went 8-0 in 1976.

Garland drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and the Cavs rallied down the stretch, outscoring the Bucks 18-8 over the final 6:06.

Jarrett Allen added 14 points, 15 rebounds and had a huge block on Milwaukee's Damian Lillard in the final seconds.

Lillard scored 36 for the Bucks, but committed a costly turnover when he was called for an over-and-back violation with 56 seconds left.

Bobby Portis added 21 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee, which has lost six in a row.

It was Cleveland's second win in three days over Milwaukee. On Saturday, Donovan Mitchell made a jumper in the final seconds to give the Cavs a 114-113 win.

Antetokounmpo sat out with a strained adductor muscle, an injury the two-time MVP sustained during the loss to Cleveland.

Takeaways

Bucks: Showed grit in giving all they had despite not having Antetokounmpo, who averages 31 points. Milwaukee's schedule hasn't helped, with five of seven games on the road.

Cavaliers: Another good lesson to not take any team for granted. The Cavs also survived without Mitchell carrying them. He only scored one point after the first quarter, finishing with 14.

Key moment

Mobley displayed his all-around game over a span of seven seconds in the second quarter. Protecting under the rim, the 7-footer soared to block a layup, grabbed the rebound, dribbled the length of the floor and dunked to ignite a 10-2 run.

Key stat

The Cavs were just the second team in history to start 7-0 with every player averaging less than 30 minutes. Seattle did it in 1978.

Up Next

The Bucks host the Utah Jazz on Thursday. The Cavaliers are at New Orleans on Wednesday.

- AP

RONALDO EARNS $250M, NAMED FORBES HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETE

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 42 goals in 41 games in all competitions for Al Nassr this season. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

 Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in his career, and Spanish golfer Jon Rahm moved up to second after his sensational switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Ronaldo became the world's highest-paid athlete after his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, and Forbes said the 39-year-old's estimated total earnings were in the region of $260 million, an all-time high for a footballer.

His on-field earnings amounted to $200m, and his off-field earnings were $60m thanks to sponsorship deals where brands make use of his 629 million Instagram followers.

Ronaldo said on Wednesday that he intends to continue his football career "at a high level" despite nearly entering his 40s.

Two-time major winner Rahm joined LIV Golf in December in a big-money move that sent shock waves through the sport after media reports said the world No. 5 would be paid at least $300m.

Apart from that guarantee, Rahm has earned $218m and joins Ronaldo as the only two athletes to earn over $200m.

Third on the list is record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, who made a lucrative switch to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, helping him earn $135m.

The 36-year-old has earned $65m in on-field earnings but $70m off it thanks to deals with major sponsors such as Adidas and Apple.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is fourth at $128.2m, and although the 39-year-old American, the first NBA player to score 40,000 career points, is nearing the end of his career, he is set to have one last crack at the Olympics.

Fellow NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111m) of the Milwaukee Bucks rounds out the top five, and France captain Kylian Mbappé has dropped down to sixth ($110m).

Mbappé announced he would be leaving Paris Saint-Germain after seven years in the French capital, where he became the club's leading career scorer, and the 25-year-old is expected to join Spanish giants Real Madrid in the 2024-25 season.

Former PSG star Neymar, who also moved to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al Hilal, is seventh ($108m) despite sitting out the majority of the season with a torn ACL.

French striker Karim Benzema, who also moved to Saudi Arabia, is eighth ($106m) on the list, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry ($102m).

Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list, in 10th place ($100.5m), thanks to the signing bonus that was negotiated into his new Baltimore Ravens contract last year.

- Reuters 

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO RULED OUT, KHRIS MIDDLETON TO START FOR THE BUCKS AGAINST PACERS IN GAMEN3

AP Photo 

 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks will be without star Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 3 of their playoff series against Indiana on Friday night, but will have All-Star Khris Middleton in the starting lineup.

Middelton was activated after going through pregame workouts, showing coaches and team doctors he could move effectively.

Middleton is averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5 assists through the first two games and finished Tuesday night's Game 2 loss after spraining his right ankle.

While Rivers said Antetokounmpo did more at practice than he had been during a nearly three-week absence with a strained left calf, he still avoided live workouts. The Bucks waited until Friday to officially announce Antetokounmpo would miss another game.

The two-time NBA MVP has not played since getting hurt April 9.

The series is tied 1-1. Indiana is trying to take its first lead in a playoff series since 2018.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, NIKOLA JOKIC HEADLINE NBA AWARD FINALISTS

 The NBA unveiled the three finalists for each of its seven major individual awards for the 2023-24 regular season Sunday night, headlined by Nikola Jokic, an MVP finalist for a fourth straight season, and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, a finalist for Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Jokic, whose Denver Nuggets opened the playoffs with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night, won the MVP in 2021 and 2022 and finished second behind the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid last year.

Embiid and the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo were MVP finalists alongside Jokic each of the past two seasons, but they were replaced this season by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

Jokic concluded the regular season averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists for Denver, which finished tied atop the Western Conference with Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder. Oklahoma City claimed the West's top playoff seed on a tiebreaker.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.0 steals this season. Doncic led the league in scoring, averaging 33.9 points, to go along with 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the Mavericks, who opened their first-round series against the LA Clippers with a 109-97 loss Sunday.

There were no surprises among the finalists for Rookie of the Year, with the top two picks in the 2023 draft -- Wembanyama and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller -- joined by the 2022 second overall pick, Thunder center Chet Holmgren.

Wembanyama set several records in his first season with the Spurs, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals, while Holmgren averaged 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds for Oklahoma City after missing last season with a foot injury. Miller averaged 17.4 points and made 184 3-pointers this season.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who previously won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was a finalist from 2017 to 2022, leads this year's finalists, alongside Wembanyama and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.

Gobert led Minnesota to the league's best defensive rating and averaged 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. Adebayo, one of the league's most versatile big men, averaged 10.4 rebounds plus a steal and a block per game, while Wembanyama became a block and steal machine as a rookie, especially after shifting to center full-time midway through the season.

The field for Most Improved Player, often one of the more complicated awards in terms of voting because there's no set criteria, includes 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, Chicago Bulls guard Coby White and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.

Maxey made his first All-Star team while averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists. White averaged career highs of 19.1 points and 5.1 assists, and Sengun averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists for Houston.

The Sixth Man of the Year voting, meanwhile, was led by Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, Timberwolves center Naz Reid and Bucks forward Bobby Portis.

For the second straight year, Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault finished among the top three in Coach of the Year voting, joined by Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley and Minnesota's Chris Finch.

Under Mosley, a young Magic team boasted one of the league's best defenses and claimed the Southeast Division crown. And Finch led Minnesota to 56 wins, second most in franchise history.

Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan is a repeat finalist for the Clutch Player of the Year award, which was created last year. He's joined by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Gilgeous-Alexander.

The NBA will announce each of the award winners -- as well as the selections for the All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams -- over the next couple of weeks.

Monk averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 assists for Sacramento before missing the final weeks of the season with a knee injury. Reid has developed into one of the top-scoring bench bigs in the league, averaging 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds -- both career highs -- to help Minnesota clinch the third seed in the Western Conference.

Portis averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Bucks and will step into a much bigger role in Milwaukee's first-round series against the Indiana Pacers, with Antetokounmpo sidelined at the start because of a calf injury.

- Tim Bontemps, ESPN

NBA ALL-STAR RETURNS TO EAST-WEST FORMAT IN LEBRON'S 20TH GAME

USA TODAY Sports 

 Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James will face off as All-Star captains for the fourth time when the best players from the Eastern and Western conferences square off against each other at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday evening in Indianapolis.

The game will mark another milestone in James' storied career. The 39-year-old is celebrating his 20th All-Star selection, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most all-time.

James is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game this season. He earned 10 All-Star selections with the Cleveland Cavaliers, six with the Los Angeles Lakers and four with the Miami Heat.

"I give credit and a lot of respect to my fans who have been along with me through this whole 21-year journey," James said. "And voting me in as an All-Star starter for the 20th consecutive time, (I'm) just very humbled. Very blessed to be able to do what I love to do and just try to give back, give back to the game that's given (to) me over two decades.

"So, to be able to know this is the first time ever in NBA history to have this many All-Star starts or whatever the case might be, it's very cool."

ANALYSIS: ADAM SILVER EARNED HIS NEW DEAL TO REMAIN AS COMMISSIONER OF THE NBA

AP Photo

 Adam Silver works for the NBA's owners, who have seen their franchise values soar over the last decade. He doesn't work for the players, but they seem to be rather enjoying how their bank accounts are getting stuffed as well.

It's a win-win.

And that means keeping him around seemingly is a no-brainer.

Silver and the league's owners agreeing on an extension for him to remain as commissioner of the NBA for years to come, a development first reported Saturday night by ESPN and confirmed by The Associated Press, makes sense on every possible level. Owners are making money. Players are making money. Fans are happily spending lots of money, as proven by the league setting attendance records.

“Max contract? Seven years, $350 million?” Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo asked when told by AP about Silver's extension agreement.

Antetokounmpo was kidding around, and the financial terms weren't released, but there was a point within the joke — Silver earned this new deal.

“He's done an incredible job,” Antetokounmpo said. “He's always been there for us. I don't think there's ever been a time where I'd see him somewhere and we didn't have a conversation about something that's bothering me. Whenever I want to, I can reach out and set up a meeting ... he's always available for us.”

LEBRON JAMES MAKES NBA ALL-STAR TEAM FOR RECORD 20

 

AP Photo 

LeBron James joined yet another exclusive club, and he’ll have plenty of familiar faces alongside him at the NBA All-Star Game.

James is an All-Star — and an All-Star starter — for the 20th time, with the league unveiling the results of this season’s starter balloting on Thursday night. James is the first 20-time All-Star in NBA history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose career scoring record was broken by James last season, was a 19-time selection.

The game is Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Joining James in the Western Conference starting lineup: Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's leader in 30-point games this season who edged perennial All-Star starter Stephen Curry of Golden State for the final West backcourt spot. Durant is a 14-time selection, one of only 11 players in NBA history to be picked that many times.

In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo will be joined by Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid — the reigning NBA MVP, two-time defending scoring champion and current NBA scoring leader — in the frontcourt. Tatum set an All-Star Game record last season, scoring 55 points in Salt Lake City on the way to MVP honors.

The East guards are Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton — who’ll be a starter on his home floor — and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard.

NBA ROUNDUP: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO SCORES BUCKS-RECORD 64

USA TODAY Sports 

Giannis Antetokounmpo set a Milwaukee Bucks franchise record with 64 points to lead his team to a 140-126 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

Antetokounmpo, who broke the record of 57 points set by Micheal Redd in 2006, also added 14 rebounds. Damian Lillard scored 21 along with six assists. Bobby Portis came off the bench to score 19.

Indiana was led by Tyrese Haliburton, the Oshkosh, Wis., native, with 22 points and seven assists. Myles Turner matched him with 22 points and also grabbed nine boards.

In the second, Lillard hit a shooter's milestone. He tied Kyle Korver for fifth all-time in made 3-pointers with his 2,450th. He later passed Korver and is now nine behind Reggie Miller (2,560), who sits in fourth place.

PACERS BEAT BUCKS 129-119 TO ADVANCE TO FACE LAKERS IN NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT FINAL

Tyrese Haliburton. AP Photo 

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton hit his third 3-pointer with less than a minute left, pounded his chest, and looked down at his wrist to let everyone know one thing: “It’s our time!”

Haliburton had 27 points and 15 assists and the Indiana Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 on Thursday night to advance to the championship game in the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

The Pacers will face the Los Angeles Lakers for the title Saturday night. The Lakers routed New Orleans 133-89 in the second semifinal.

“We’re playing the right way and we’re shocking the world right now, we’re going to continue to do that,” Haliburton said. "And as long as we play the right way, we know we’re going to be in every basketball game.”

Myles Turner added 26 points for Indiana. Obi Toppin had 14 on 6-of-8 shooting, Isaiah Jackson chipped in 11 and Bruce Brown had 10.

Indiana is averaging a whopping 132.6 points during the tournament. Overall, they are averaging 128.3 this season — 131.7 over the last 14 games.

ANTETOKOUNMPO, BUCKS BREEZE PAST KNICKS 146-122 , INTO SEMIFINALS OF IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

AP Photo

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points and 10 assists, Damian Lillard added 28 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the New York Knicks 146-122 on Tuesday night to reach the semifinals of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament.

The Bucks posted a season high in scoring, shooting 60.5% (23 of 38) from 3-point range and 60.4% overall to set up a matchup with Indiana in Las Vegas on Thursday.

“Tonight was a huge step. We wanted to get to Vegas but when we get to Vegas we’ve got to take care of business. We've got two games to win there," coach Adrian Griffin said. “I thought tonight our team was the better team. Our bench was terrific and I thought the crowd was terrific. It had all the makings of a playoff game.”

Griffin anticipates a strong challenge from the Pacers.

“We expect their best, but when we are at our best, I love our chances,” he said.

Lillard said the Bucks are headed to Las Vegas with the intent of bringing home a championship and setting a tone for the rest of the season.

“You come out of this thing on top, I think it’s a pretty strong statement and something that everybody around the league has to respect,” he said.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO GETS HEATED WITH REPORTER | TALKS ELIMINATION & PLAYOFFS

MILWAUKEE BUCKS' GIANNIS ANTETOKOUMNPO TALKS ETF | INVESTING | FINANVIAL LITERACY | NBA | CALAMOS

FULL NBA ALL-STAR 2023 DRAFT: TEAM LEBRON VS. TEAM GIANNIS