Damian Lillard scored 30 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points and 11 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks took advantage of a strong start for the second consecutive night, defeating the Orlando Magic 122-93 on Wednesday.
The Bucks (22-17) moved ahead of Orlando (23-19) to claim the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Milwaukee is now 3-0 against Orlando this season, with the final game of their season series set for March 8 in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee dominated from the beginning, leading 34-16 by the end of the first quarter and coasting to their biggest win of the season. The Bucks had also started strong the night before, building a 47-26 lead in the first quarter of their 130-115 win over Sacramento, which ended the Kings’ seven-game win streak.
Paolo Banchero scored 22 points for Orlando in the loss.
Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. did not return for the second half after suffering a hip bruise.
Takeaways:
Magic: Just five days after losing to the Bucks in a close 109-106 game, the Magic had no chance in this matchup due to their poor shooting. Orlando finished the game with just 34.7% shooting from the field, the lowest shooting percentage allowed by the Bucks all season.
Bucks: One night after scoring a season-high 130 points, the Bucks were on fire again, shooting a season-high 62.5% from the field and continuously getting easy looks near the basket.
Key moment:
The Bucks went on a 19-0 run in the first quarter, taking a 27-9 lead. Lillard contributed nine points during this stretch, including a deep three-pointer from over 30 feet.
Key stats:
Orlando made just 12 of 46 three-point attempts, while Milwaukee hit 7 of 12. According to Sportradar, this was the fewest three-point attempts by any team in a single NBA game this season.
