The Milwaukee Bucks overcame Giannis Antetokounmpo fouling out with 3:36 remaining to edge the Washington Wizards 104-101 on Friday, showcasing their resilience in a short-handed thriller. Kyle Kuzma led the scoring with 19 points in his first game against Washington since being traded to Milwaukee earlier this month.
Antetokounmpo’s early foul trouble forced him to play just 22 minutes, finishing with 18 points before exiting late in the third quarter. ‘We had to recalibrate without our MVP out there,’ Bucks coach Doc Rivers said postgame. Khris Middleton added 12 points in his Wizards debut but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.
Key factors in Milwaukee’s win:
- Dominance in the paint (50-34 scoring advantage)
- Washington’s 31% three-point shooting
- Brook Lopez’s clutch free throws with 38.5 seconds left
The Bucks overcame multiple obstacles:
▪ Missing Damian Lillard (hamstring) and Bobby Portis Jr. (suspension)
▪ Giannis sitting 11:59 straight during critical second-half minutes
▪ Washington rookie Alex Sarr’s career-high 22 points
Washington’s backcourt combined for 4/22 shooting from Jordan Poole and Kyshawn George. ‘These are games we must close out,’ lamented Wizards coach Brian Keefe during the postgame press conference.
With the victory, Milwaukee maintains its hold on second place in the Eastern Conference. Both teams return to action Sunday, with the Bucks hosting Miami and Washington visiting Orlando.
