AJ Green scored a career-high 35 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 125-108 victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets in Milwaukee’s final home game of the season.
Milwaukee snapped a two-game losing skid as Green also became just the third Buck ever to make 10 or more 3-pointers in a game (11-for-16). Cormac Ryan added 28 while Taurean Prince scored 18 with 10 rebounds. Jericho Sims posted a double-double off the bench with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Tyson Etienne led Brooklyn, who lost for the second night in a row, with 23 points. Malachi Smith nearly contributed a triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
The Nets only played seven players and each contributed double figures. Reserve Nolan Traore scored 14 points in just over 16 minutes of action.
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play with a hyperextended knee despite speculation the Bucks would allow him to play with his brothers Thanasis and Alex in Milwaukee’s final home game.
Milwaukee got out to a hot start, rattling off a 15-3 run to begin the contest. The Bucks would convert 6-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, which included three treys and 18 points from Ryan and took a 38-24 lead into the second.
The Milwaukee lead grew as high as 21 during the first quarter, but Brooklyn slowly chipped away at that deficit and cut the deficit to 66-54 at intermission.
Ryan led all scorers with 21 points at the break. Etienne led Brooklyn with 15.
In the second half the Bucks continued to shoot it frequently from deep and do so efficiently. Milwaukee went 8-for-16 from deep in the third and 5-for-11 in the fourth, narrowly winning both quarters to maintain a double-digit advantage throughout.
The Bucks finished the night 24-of-48 (50%) from deep, helping to balance the 17 turnovers they committed on offense.
Green was 6-for-9 from beyond the arc through three quarters and finished with a flourish, knocking down 5-of-7 in the final period.
Milwaukee evened the four-game season series at 2-2 with the victory after the Nets took down the Bucks in Brooklyn on Monday.
