Antetokounmpo scores 30, Middleton gets triple-double as Bucks roll past Thunder 118-93
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks emphatically demonstrated just what they're capable of accomplishing when they have all their top players available.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, Khris Middleton recorded his second career triple-double and the Bucks trounced the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-93 on Sunday.
“With a full team out there, we realize what we can do as a team,” said Middleton, who had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double since Jan. 20, 2018. “We have so many guys, so many weapons that can carry us, or guys that can make a play or just attract a crowd.”
This marked the first time since a Feb. 3 victory at Dallas that the Bucks had Antetokounmpo, Middleton and seven-time All-NBA guard Damian Lillard on the floor for the same game. It was the first time since a Jan. 31 loss at Portland that they had their preferred starting lineup of Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton, Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley.
Middleton had missed 16 straight games with a sprained left ankle and also sat a victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday due to injury management. Lillard also had a sprained left ankle that caused him to sit out two games in early February. Antetokounmpo returned Thursday after missing two games due to an issue with his left hamstring.
“I just feel this appreciation feeling of having everybody healthy and available to play,” Antetokounmpo said. “Because when we're not healthy, I think sometimes we play well, sometimes we don't, sometimes we create this excuse in our mind that like, ‘OK, when he gets back, we're going to be better.' But now we're all here. There's no more excuses.”
Milwaukee broke open a close game in the second half as Oklahoma City (49-21) fell out of the Western Conference lead. The reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets (50-21) didn’t play Sunday and moved a half-game ahead of the Thunder.
Oklahoma City posted its lowest point total and shot its lowest percentage (.371) of the season. Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points — the first time since Jan. 16 he was held below 20 — and sat out the entire fourth quarter after the Bucks had built a lopsided lead.
“They had him in a crowd for much of the night and made it very difficult for him to get his cracks,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I thought as a team, just our overall pace and sharpness on offense wasn't where it needed to be.”
Milwaukee had seven players score in double figures. Bobby Portis had 15, Lopez 14, Lillard and Pat Connaughton 11 apiece and Jae Crowder 10.
“Just having everybody together just makes the game easier for everybody,” Antetokounmpo said. “We don’t have to force anything. We just keep on playing good basketball, keep on moving the ball. There’s going to be some nights that it’s going to be my night. There’s going to be some nights that it’s going to be Khris’ night. There’s going to be some nights that it’s going to be Dame’s night. But we don’t have to force anything. Everybody out there is a threat. I think our bench is unbelievable, and they keep on getting better.”
Josh Giddey scored 19 and Jalen Williams added 18 for the Thunder.
The Bucks led 48-47 at halftime and broke open the game by outscoring Oklahoma City 18-2 in the first six-plus minutes of the third quarter. Oklahoma City didn’t make its first basket of the third period until Williams converted a layup with 5:38 left that ended a 16-0 Milwaukee spurt.
Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort appeared to take a hit to the head under the basket as Williams scored, causing the swingman to leave the game. Although Dort didn't return, Daigneault said after the game that “I think he's fine.”
UP NEXT
Thunder: At New Orleans on Tuesday.
Bucks: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Ohio State women edge Wisconsin 1-0 to claim Frozen Four championship
DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — Joy Dunne scored the only goal of the match with 7:12 remaining to spark top-seeded Ohio State to a 1-0 victory over defending-champion and second-seeded Wisconsin in the final of the women's Frozen Four at the Whittemore Center Arena on Sunday.
Dunne used assists from Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes to help the Buckeyes avenge a 1-0 loss to Wisconsin in last season's championship game. Ohio State (35-4) set a school record for wins in slipping past the Badgers (35-6). It is the second championship for the Buckeyes, who won their first in 2022 with a 3-2 victory over Minnesota-Duluth.
Wisconsin was aiming to extend its record championship haul to eight after winning seven of its previous 10 trips to the event.
Badgers freshman goalie Ava McNaughton had eight saves and Ohio State's Raygan Kirk stopped seven shots in a scoreless first period.
McNaughton added 12 more saves and Kirk notched 10 as the match remained scoreless through two periods.
Dunne's netter helped Ohio State beat Wisconsin for the fourth time in six matchups this season. It was Dunne's 24th goal of the season, the 26th assist for Bilka and the 25th assist for Barnes.
Kirk finished with 26 saves for her school-record 21st win of the season. McNaughton saved 27 of 28 shots.
Ohio State beat Clarkson 4-1 in the semifinals, while Wisconsin advanced with a 3-1 victory over Colgate.
The Badgers lead the all-time series with the Buckeyes 79-25-10.
Wisconsin beats Colgate in Frozen Four, looks to defend women's ice hockey title against Ohio State
DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — Kirsten Simms and Vivian Jungels scored the opening two goals and defending champion Wisconsin advanced to the women's ice hockey championship game for the second straight season after a 3-1 victory over Colgate on Friday night in the Frozen Four.
The win by Wisconsin (35-5-0) sets up a rematch of the 2023 title game on Sunday with top seed Ohio State. The Badgers are seeking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Clarkson in 2018 — and notch the program's eighth championship.
Colgate (32-7-1), which had won its last six games by a combined score of 27-4, was the only team in the Frozen Four that had not won a national championship. The only previous trip to the Frozen Four for the Raiders came in 2018 against Clarkson.
Simms, the WCHA player of the year, buried her 33rd goal of the season 11 minutes into the game to extend her points streak to seven-straight games. Jungels made it 2-0 midway through the third on a shot from the face-off dot that went under the glove of Kayle Osborne.
Kristýna Kaltounková pulled Colgate within 2-1 with 2:10 to play, but Laila Edwards sealed it with an empty-netter.
Wisconsin rolled into the NCAA Tournament after beating Ohio State in the WCHA championship game.
Brewers: Top prospect Jackson Chourio will start the year in the majors
Texas’ Wyatt Langford and Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio will open the season in the majors.
Jackson Holliday – the exciting young Baltimore Orioles infielder – won’t be joining them in the big leagues just yet.
The Rangers announced Langford will open in the season with them and the Brewers did the same with Chourio, while the Orioles reassigned Holliday to their minor league camp.
Chourio, who turned 20 on March 11, agreed to an $82 million, eight-year contract during the offseason despite having played only six games above Double-A. He hit .283 with a .338 on-base percentage, 22 homers, 91 RBIs and 44 steals in 128 games while playing Double-A and Triple-A ball last season.
Heading into Friday, Chourio was hitting .280 with a .333 on-base percentage, no homers and three RBIs in 50 Cactus League at-bats.
Lillard goes for 30 points in Bucks' win over Brooklyn
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard had 30 points and 12 assists and made two late steals as the Milwaukee Bucks capitalized on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return to beat the Brooklyn Nets 115-108 on Thursday night.
Antetokounmpo had 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists after missing two games because of an issue with his left hamstring. The Bucks rested Khris Middleton a night after he played 33 minutes in a 122-119 loss at Boston, as they continue to manage his workload in his recovery from a sprained left ankle.
Mikal Bridges scored 24 points, Nic Claxton had 22 and Cam Thomas 21 for the Nets, who made a big second-half comeback but still lost their fifth straight.
After trailing by 20 points late in the second quarter and 18 early in the third, the Nets pulled ahead by outscoring the Bucks 21-6 over the first 5 1/2 minutes of the final period.
Cam Johnson made a 3-pointer with 6:58 left to put Brooklyn ahead 87-88, giving the Nets their first lead since 11-9. Dennis Smith Jr. followed with a steal and a basket to make 90-87 with 6:41 remaining.
Antetokounpmo made a 3-pointer to tie it with six minutes left, and the game went back and forth from there.
It was tied at 96 when Lillard got a steal and started a fast break. The sequence resulted in Antetokounmpo scoring on the other end of the floor while getting fouled. Antetokounmpo hit the ensuing free throw to complete a 3-point play with 3:36 remaining.
Milwaukee extended the lead to five on two occasions, but the Nets cut it to 103-101 on Bridges' 3-pointer with 2:17 left.
After Antetokounmpo missed a shot, the Nets had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead. Dennis Smith Jr. drove into the lane, but Lillard stole the ball, headed upcourt and found Malik Beasley open for a corner 3-pointer that made it 106-101 with 1:37 remaining.
Lillard then sealed the victory by scoring the game's next five points, including a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left.
Over his last three games, Lillard has averaged 31 points and 11.3 assists. He has scored at least 30 points in each of those games.
UP NEXT
Nets: At New York on Saturday.
Bucks: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Bucks beat Phoenix in Khris Middleton's return
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard had 31 points and 16 assists and Bobby Portis had 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead Milwaukee past the Phoenix Suns 140-129 on Sunday, as the Bucks hit 24 3-pointers to win without star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo, averaging 30.8 points and 11.2 rebounds, was out with left hamstring soreness. He missed just his fourth game of the season and first since March 4, when he was out with Achilles tendinitis.
“It’s not an injury, we were just concerned a little bit,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Plus, when you look at the schedule, you have one, two, three, four, five days off. We planted it in him and he had to do it. We’re happy that he decided to do it.”
Phoenix trailed 109-94 after three quarters, but closed within 122-115 on a lay-in by Bradley Beal with 6:17 left. Lillard’s 3-pointer from the top left put Milwaukee up 134-120 with 3:18 remaining.
“I just wanted to come out and be in attack mode,” said Lillard, who became the first Bucks player in history to have a 30-point, 15-assist game. “I didn’t really think to myself I’m going to have to score a bunch of points. I just knew I had to be a problem for the defense.”
Khris Middleton added 22 points for Milwaukee in his first game back after missing 16 games with a sprained left ankle. The Bucks finished 24 of 41 from 3-point range, with Portis and Malik Beasley hitting five apiece.
“I thought it was huge, especially with Giannis being out,” Lillard said of Middleton’s return. “Any time you’re down your best player and then you add another weapon to a team that’s already down, it’s a pick-me-up just because we’re excited to have him back.”
Beal had 28 points, Grayson Allen had 25 points and Devin Booker scored 23 for Phoenix.
Milwaukee’s 18 first-half 3-pointers matched the NBA record for 3-pointers in the opening half held by the Suns and Utah Jazz.
“They changed their team, obviously, with Giannis not being in there, and Dame is an elite attacker that requires you to really extend your defense on him,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “The risk in that is exposing the 3-point line.”
Portis came off the bench for 25 first-half points, hitting 10 of 13 shots, including 5 of 5 from beyond the arc, in just under 13 minutes.
Allen’s 3-pointer capped an 11-point run that brought the Suns within 93-83 with just over 4 ½ minutes left in the third quarter. Lillard hit a 3-pointer from the edge of the logo just ahead of the buzzer to put Milwaukee up 109-94 entering the final period.
Milwaukee moved 1 ½ games ahead of Cleveland for the second-best record in the East. Phoenix entered in sixth place in the West, a half-game ahead of Sacramento and a game in front of Dallas.
UP NEXT
Suns: Host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Bucks: Visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Wisconsin comes up short in title game loss to Illinois
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 34 points on 15-for-17 shooting from the free-throw line, helping 13th-ranked Illinois outlast Wisconsin 93-87 in Big Ten tournament championship game on Sunday.
Marcus Domask added 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and Dain Dainja had nine points and seven rebounds for the Illini (26-8), who won their fourth conference title — and second in four years — after shooting 16 of 26 from the floor in the second half.
A.J. Storr had 24 points and Chucky Hepburn added 20 points for the Badgers (22-13), who went 7 for 20 from 3-point range after going 33 for 79 over their first three games.
Shannon finished with 102 points in three games this weekend, one short of the Big Ten Tournament scoring record, and was voted the Most Outstanding Player. Keegan Murray had 103 points for Iowa in 2022, but the Hawkeyes played four games that year on the way to the title.
After celebrating in a shower of orange-and-blue confetti and cutting down the nets at Target Center, the Illini hustled to a side room for the NCAA Tournament selection show to learn they're the No. 3 seed in the East Region, with a first-round game on Friday against Morehead State.
Wisconsin got the No. 5 seed in the South Region and a first-round matchup against James Madison.
Shannon, who broke the Big Ten Tournament single-game record with 40 points in the semifinal win over Nebraska, still faces a rape charge in Kansas for an alleged incident last year. His school-issued suspension was overruled by a federal judge after six games.
The Wisconsin fans taunted him often, but he’s not the type of player who can be rattled. He casually and coolly pulled up for a 3-pointer off the break to give Illinois a 41-40 lead with 31 seconds left before halftime, blowing a kiss at the crowd that was heavy with red-clad Badgers fans.
Hepburn's three-point play gave Wisconsin a game-high 61-51 lead, but that hardly lasted. Illinois went on a 21-5 run over 6 minutes and made sure this would be a tight game the rest of the way.
Shannon was just a bit too much for Wisconsin down the stretch, just as he was for Nebraska a day earlier. Klesmit sank a 3-pointer for the tie with 1:57 left, but Shannon answered from deep on the other end to make it 88-85 with 88 seconds left.
Then he stole an careless dribble from Storr on the other end, drove the other way to draw a foul and sink both free throws for a five-point lead.
Hepburn was one of the heroes of Wisconsin's overtime victory over top-seeded Purdue in the semifinals on Saturday, hitting the tying layup at the buzzer in regulation and drawing a key charging foul to set up Max Klesmit's winner.
The junior guard passed the 1,000-point mark for his career in this game and contributed in all kinds of ways, particularly in defending Shannon but also driving hard to the hoop the way his counterpart does so well. Hepburn didn't play in the quarterfinal win over Northwestern because of a knee injury.
Illinois, the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last five seasons, has its most victories since a 26-win team in 2005-06.
Illinois won the only regular-season matchup between these teams two weeks ago, a 91-83 victory fueled by Domask's 31 points in the Waupun native's first game in Wisconsin since high school. The graduate transfer from Southern Illinois, who was a first team All-Big Ten pick with Shannon, went 8 for 11 from the floor in this game.
Both the Badgers and the Illini made their eighth appearance in the conference title game, which was staged for the 26th time, a total bested only by Ohio State’s nine. Michigan State has the most Big Ten Tournament championships with seven.
(5) Wisconsin 76, (1) Purdue 75: Last word
MINNEAPOLIS -- Wisconsin got 22 points from Chucky Hepburn and 20 from AJ Storr to help the fifth-seeded Badgers upset top-seeded Purdue 76-75 in overtime of the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday.
Player of the Game: Chucky Hepburn
Playing at what he estimated to be 85-percent, Hepburn was fantastic at both ends. He sent the game to overtime with a layup at the buzzer and then drew an offensive foul in the final 20 seconds of overtime to get the Badgers the ball back to get the game-winning score. He finished with a team-high 22 points on an extremely efficient 9-for-12 from the field, adding four assists and three steals. The junior was an absolute menace to deal with for first-team All-Big Ten guard Braden Smith, who had just seven points (3-for-10 shooting) and fouled out. It was, perhaps, the best all-around game from Hepburn this season.
https://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork/status/1769091923287867795?s=20
The good: The fight
If nothing else, this Wisconsin team has grit. A lot of it. Foul trouble caused them to go deep into the bench with the likes of Carter Gilmore, Chris Hodges and Markus Ilver seeing minutes at important moments of the game. And they rose to the occasion, especially Gilmore, who played the most minutes (18) he had all year. He hit a key 3-pointer, was diving for loose balls and had a couple assists. With their best players on the bench, the Badgers could have wilted. Instead, Hepburn, Storr, Max Klesmit and a host of backups stepped up when needed.
The not so good: The officiating
Flat out, it was horrible. Three Wisconsin players — Steven Crowl, Tyler Wahl and Nolan Winter — fouled out, while Purdue lost Smith late in overtime. For the game, the two teams were called for 45 fouls, including 28 on the Badgers. That was a season-high and it led to a significant advantage at the foul line for Purdue. The Boilermakers took 32 attempts to the Badgers nine, with Zach Edey accounting for 19 of those for Purdue. The game was poorly officiated and that's probably being nice.
https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1769085553926914080?s=20
Best Tweets
https://twitter.com/Evan_Flood/status/1769096680702464115?s=20
https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1769085410368495767?s=20
https://twitter.com/B1GMBBall/status/1769089376896655388?s=20
Stat of the Game: 12
That is how many points Max Klesmit put up, but it’s the stat of the game because of the final two. The junior curled around Hepburn with the ball, went to the hoop and laid a floater up that bounce around and eventually fell through for the winning bucket.
https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1769085160723566611?s=20
In Case You Missed It
— Hepburn and Wahl were both listed as questionable for the game due to injuries sustained earlier in the tournament. However, both started.
— Hepburn said he went through some exhaustive rehab after missing the Northwestern on Saturday. It included some dry needling into the back of his knee.
https://twitter.com/ZachHeilprin/status/1769097532284526639?s=20
— Hepburn’s bucket to tie the game at the end of regulation came off the same play that Wisconsin used in the 2016 NCAA Tournament that ended with Bronson Koenig hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Xavier. Zak Showalter, who was also on the floor that night, pointed it out on social media and Koenig reacted.
https://twitter.com/BronsonK_24/status/1769080319104237582?s=20
— The game got off to a chippy start with officials hitting Crowl and Edey each with technical fouls following some pleasantries being exchanged after Edey had been called for a foul. It resulted in Edey picking up two fouls in the first 2:04 of the game and having to sit for an extended stretch.
-- Wisconsin will be looking for its first Big Ten title since 2015. If the Badgers win, it will be the first time they've done it while having to play four games in four days.
What’s next?
Wisconsin (22-12) will face No. 2 seed Illinois (25-8) seed on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis with tipoff coming at 2:30p.
Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs join Packers looking to contend for a Super Bowl
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The last time the Green Bay Packers were players in high-stakes NFL free agency was 2019. With general manager Brian Gutekunst signing four starters, the team reached NFC Championship games in 2019 and 2020 and posted three consecutive 13-win seasons.
In free agency this week, Gutekunst made safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs among the four highest-paid players at their positions.
While money talks, the ability to join a potential Super Bowl contender was the draw, both players said at Lambeau Field on Friday.
Jacobs, the former Las Vegas Raiders star who will replace longtime standout Aaron Jones atop the depth chart, said he had 10 or 12 suitors when the free-agent negotiating window opened on Monday.
“Ultimately, it came down to what I seen and what I believed in with this team, the history of this organization, and feeling like I’m wanted by an organization,” he said.
What did he see with the Packers?
A chance to win — in five years, he reached the playoffs once and hasn’t won a playoff game — and a chance to get back to his 2022 form, when he led the NFL in rushing.
“Obviously, young quarterback, young skill guys, good offensive line,” Jacobs said. “So, for a running back, can’t load the box and, when you do, you still got guys that can move people around. I think that’s the thing that kind of excited me the most.”
The young quarterback is Jordan Love, who in Year 1 as the replacement for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers topped 4,100 passing yards and finished second with 32 touchdown passes. Even with a limited resume, he was a lure for both players.
“Obviously, it’s a competitive league and you need an elite quarterback to be able to even have a chance,” said McKinney, who had nine interceptions in four seasons with the New York Giants. “I believe that he is an elite quarterback. Obviously, I played against him and I watched him play, and I think he’s really good and the sky’s the limit for him. I know he’s a great leader — I’ve heard great things about him — so it’s going to be real fun being a part of this team and being able to go to work with these guys every day. It’s going to be a hungry group. We’ve got a lot of young talent.”
McKinney filled arguably the biggest void on the team. Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford played the overwhelming majority of the defensive snaps last season and were headed to free agency, with Savage ultimately signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Owens with the Chicago Bears. The team needed to do better as it transitions to new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme, one in which safeties are tasked with playing critical roles.
McKinney, who had three interceptions, 11 passes defensed and 116 tackles last season, was the best safety in free agency.
“Heart, competitiveness and playmaking ability. Instincts are really high,” he said in describing his game. “Just making the guys around me a lot better and pushing them. Just trying to put on a show, really. That’s my goal, is to go out there and play as best that I can and be able to help the team and put the team in the best position to be able to win games. That’s why I’m here and that’s what I’m going to be here to do.”
McKinney and Jacobs were teammates at Alabama. Both players said they never thought they’d play together in the NFL, let alone in Green Bay.
Having both signed four-year contracts on Thursday, they will be cornerstones for a team that is searching for its first Super Bowl win since 2010.
“Me knowing him for so long, even over the years we still talk all the time,” Jacobs said. “For me to be able to come here with him, we were talking about it last night, sitting down eating, it’s special. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, being here and everything like that, but I think it’s going to be fun.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 32 points to lead the Bucks to a 114-105 win over the 76ers
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the Philadelphia 76ers 114-105 on Thursday night.
Brook Lopez added 19 points and seven rebounds and Damian Lillard had 17 points and seven assists for the Bucks, who won at home after losing three of four on a West Coast swing, which included a 129-94 drubbing against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points for the 76ers, who closed out a 1-2 road trip. Tobias Harris added 15 points and Cam Payne had 13.
The Bucks, who trailed 83-80 at the start of the fourth quarter, moved ahead 88-87 on a layup by Bobby Portis with 8:42 left and didn't relinquish the lead.
The Bucks were short-handed as starting guard Malik Beasley and reserve MarJon Beauchamp sat out with back spasms. Khris Middleton missed his 16th consecutive game with a sprained left ankle.
Without standout Joel Embiid, Philadelphia has been struggling to generate offense. The 76ers have lost 13 of 20 without Embiid, who is recovering from a meniscus injury to his left knee. They were held to 79 points in splitting back-to-back games against the New York Knicks on Sunday and Tuesday, and reached that point total on Thursday with two minutes remaining in the third.
Philadelphia came out firing at the start, connecting on 11 of 20 shots, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range in the first quarter, ending with a 10-0 run.
The 76ers led by as many as 12 in the second. Payne, traded by Milwaukee to Philadelphia in February for Patrick Beverley, scored 11 points in the quarter, including three consecutive 3-pointers. Philadelphia led 61-53 at the half on 56% shooting from the field and 58% sniping from long distance. Maxey had 18 first-half points, making 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
The Bucks committed 10 first-half turnovers, leading to 17 points for the Sixers.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host Charlotte on Saturday.
Bucks: Host Phoenix on Sunday.
