MILWAUKEE (AP) — Khris
Middleton and Jrue Holiday made sure the Milwaukee Bucks withstood Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foul trouble and got through arguably the toughest three-game stretch of their schedule unscathed.
Middleton scored a season-high 44 points, Holiday had 24 and the Bucks rallied to beat the short-handed Phoenix Suns 132-122 on Sunday for their fourth consecutive victory.
Holiday scored 17 points and Middleton had 16 in the fourth quarter to help the Bucks outscore the Suns 12-1 over the last three minutes. They’re the first Bucks teammates to each score at least 15 fourth-quarter points in the same game over the last 25 seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Bucks won their fourth straight overall and third in the last five days. Milwaukee beat the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat 120-119 on Wednesday night and Chicago 118-112 on Friday night before knocking off the Suns, who own the NBA’s best record.
Milwaukee erased a 14-point deficit in the final six minutes of the Heat game and trailed the Bulls by seven points at the start of the fourth quarter.
This was the Suns’ first visit since Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in a 105-98 Game 6 victory gave the Bucks their first NBA title in 50 years. In their only previous matchup this season, the Suns won 131-107 in Phoenix on Feb. 10.
The Suns were playing without their usual All-Star starting backcourt of Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Booker missed his third straight game due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Paul broke his right thumb Feb. 16.