MILWAUKEE (AP) Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe scored 28 points apiece to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the Sacramento Kings 123-111 on Monday night, as the Bucks won without new father Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP, missed the game after he and his girlfriend welcomed their first child, a son whose birth he announced earlier Monday on his Twitter account.
Milwaukee trailed 90-88 after three quarters, but opened the final period with 13 consecutive points as Sacramento missed its first five shots. Bledsoe capped the run with back-to-back 3 pointers to put the Bucks up 101-90.
Bogdan Bogdanovic hit two free throws to pull the Kings within 103-97 with 5:58 remaining, but the Bucks pushed the lead back to 111-100 on a 3-pointer by Donte DiVincenzo.
Harrison Barnes had 23 points and De’Aaron Fox added 17 for the Kings, who had won four of their previous five.
Brook Lopez added 20 points for the Bucks, who improved their NBA-best record to 46-7. Milwaukee is 4-6 when trailing after three quarters.
Sacramento, which trailed 38-24 after one quarter, took its first lead at 57-56 on Nemanja Bjelica’s layup with 37 seconds left in the half. After making 16 of 31 shots in the first quarter, including 5 of 12 from beyond the arc, the Bucks were just 6 of 21 in their 19-point second quarter.
TIP-INS
Kings: Forward Jabari Parker, acquired at the trade deadline from Atlanta – where he missed 20 of his last 21 games with a right shoulder impingement – was inactive Monday for the third consecutive game with Sacramento. Coach Luke Walton said there is a chance Parker could play Wednesday at Dallas.
Bucks: Milwaukee signed veteran forward Marvin Williams on Monday and waived forward Dragan Bender. Williams, in his 15th season, averaged 6.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 41 games with Charlotte this season. The 6-foot-8 Williams, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Atlanta Hawks, has averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds over his career. Bender averaged 3.7 points in seven games with the Bucks and also played in 13 games for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League.
UP NEXT
Kings are at Dallas on Wednesday.
Bucks are at Indianapolis on Wednesday.
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