NBA News Wire
Bucks 105, Magic 98
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MILWAUKEE — Point guard Brandon Knight scored nine of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and forward Khris Middleton hit three 3-pointers in the final period as the Bucks rallied for a 105-98 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
All of Knight’s fourth-quarter scoring came in a 90-second stretch as Milwaukee erased a three-point deficit.
Knight sank two free throws, then added a layup with 11:21 remaining to give the Bucks their first lead since the first quarter.
Guard Ramon Sessions forced Magic guard E’Twaun Moore into a turnover and found Knight for an easy dunk to give Milwaukee a three-point lead.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo grabbed a defensive rebound, then found Middleton, who kicked it out to Knight for a 3-pointer from the right wing. The basket put the Bucks ahead 77-71 with 10:30 to play.
Antetokounmpo gave Milwaukee its biggest lead of the night when he sank a 3-pointer with 2:50 left, making it a 95-81 game.
Middleton hit four of the Bucks’ eight free throws down the stretch, and he finished with 21 points. Sessions and forward Ersan Ilyasova added 16 points each for the Bucks (13-50), who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Orlando (19-46) shot 49 percent and made seven of 16 3-pointers through the first three quarters but went 10-for-24 from the field and missed five of seven long-distance attempts in the fourth.
Forward Maurice Harkless led the Magic with 14 points, and point guard Jameer Nelson added 13 points and seven assists. Center Nikola Vucevic and guards Victor Oladipo and Aaron Afflalo each scored 12 for the Magic, losers of three in a row.
Forward Tobias Harris got the Magic off to a good start, hitting five of seven from the field for 11 points in the first half. Afflalo made four of seven and had 10 first-half points. Orlando held Milwaukee to 40 percent shooting and went into halftime up 51-45.
The Bucks missed their first seven shots of the third quarter before going on a 15-4 run that made it a 63-60 game after Knight’s layup with 3:56 left in the quarter. After three quarters, Orlando led 71-68.
NOTES: Bucks coach Larry Drew had a full bench Monday, as G O.J. Mayo returned from a one-game suspension and C Epke Udoh was back in action after missing 20 of 21 games with knee and ankle injuries. … Rookie G Victor Oladipo returned to the Orlando lineup after missing two games with an injured left ankle. … Orlando F Tobias Harris faced Milwaukee, which drafted him, for the fifth time since being traded to the Magic last season for G J.J. Redick. In the four previous meetings, Harris averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists — his best stats against any opponent in the league. He had 11 points, eight boards and one assist Monday.
