Parker, Antetokounmpo Lead Bucks Past Heat, 116-108
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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jabari Parker had 24 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 19 to help the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 116-108 on Friday night.
Antetokounmpo also had eight rebounds and six assists after being limited by illness throughout the week. Greg Monroe added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside each had 19 points for the Heat, and Luke Babbitt added a season-high 16. They have lost 10 of 11 games, including the last four on their trip.
After leading by as many as 21 points in the first half, the Bucks maintained a large lead throughout the third quarter, pushing it to 22 at one point.
But the Bucks allowed the Heat to get within eight points midway through the fourth. Antetokounmpo then scored six straight points and the Bucks quickly built the lead back to 14 with about five minutes remaining.
Miami cut the lead to seven with 16 seconds remaining, but would get no closer.
The Bucks scored 42 points in the first quarter, their most in any quarter this season, to grab a 12-point lead. Monroe had 12 points in the quarter.
CHANGING COURSE
The last time the teams met, in November, Miami held Milwaukee to a season-low 73 points in notching the victory. The Bucks surpassed that mark with 8:57 remaining in the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Heat: Center Willie Reed sat out with a bruised sternum, leaving Miami with just 10 available players, all of whom played.
Bucks: Antetokounmpo logged 37 minutes after being limited to nine minutes at San Antonio on Tuesday night while struggling with an unspecified illness that also caused him to miss Sunday's home game against Washington.
UP NEXT
Heat: Host Houston on Tuesday in the first of two regular-season matchups. The Heat have won six of their last seven against the Rockets in Miami.
Bucks: Travel to Atlanta for a matinee matchup Sunday. The Hawks have won three consecutive games and six of the last eight against Milwaukee.
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