Los Angeles Clippers beat Milwaukee Bucks 129-105 for the sixth straight victory. Marcus Morris scored 25 points and three other starters had at least 20 points.
Kawhi Leonard had 23 points and nine rebounds. Luke Kennard had 21 points, and Reggie Jackson had 20 points.
The Clippers hit 19 three-pointers, one less than their season-high. They hit eight in the fourth quarter to extend a 13-point lead to 24.
During a stretch midway through the game, Kennard made four 3-pointers in a row, while the Bucks only managed two points. Kennard tied for the season-high with five three-pointers, while Jackson had four.
Los Angeles owned a 25-6 edge in second-chance points and outrebounded the Bucks, 46-32.
“They shot it at a really high clip. Just didn’t think we guarded very well, particularly late. Just too much penetration,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “They did a good job of getting inside of us. They were creating a lot of good looks. We got to be better defensively.”
George was forced to sit out due to soreness in his right foot.
“Everything we’ve been working on and frustrated by earlier in the season, you can see it coming together,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We have a defensive mindset every single night.”
The Bucks were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 32 points while hitting 10 of 12 free throws, and Jrue Holiday, who scored 24 points in the first game of a six-game road trip, their longest of the second half.
With an average of 119.3 points, the Bucks were tied for first in the NBA in scoring.
“We held them to 105, that’s just a great defensive effort right there,” Leonard said. “We’re just paying more attention to detail. We’re just playing hard from the first quarter to the fourth quarter.”
Morris’ 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter stretched the Clippers’ advantage to 13 points. On a basket by Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee increased its lead to 105-98.
The Bucks, on the other hand, was held to 19 points in the third quarter after being held to 17 in the second.
The Clippers got the offensive rebound after Leonard missed a jumper, and Kennard converted a 3-pointer to start his personal streak.
“It took a lot of pressure off Kawhi because they were sending guys at him, trying to double him and Luke stepped up,” Lue explained why he started Kennard for the first time since early February.
The Clippers made six 3-pointers in the third quarter, including four in a row, to take a 12-point lead.
Jackson finished with 15 points, three 3-pointers, and six straight points in another run to lead the Clippers to a 96-86 fourth-quarter lead.
At halftime, the Clippers were up 57-55.
The Bucks hit 68 percent of their shots in the first quarter and ended with an 18-3 run to take a 38-26 lead.
TIP-INS
Bucks: After playing in his first three games with his new club, P.J. Tucker (left calf strain) missed his third straight game. Bobby Portis (health and safety protocols) was unable to join us on our journey.
Clippers: George has missed 12 games this season. Serge Ibaka missed his eighth game in a row due to lower back tightness. Since being acquired last week, Rajon Rondo (right adductor soreness) has yet to play.
Steve Ballmer, the team’s owner, sat in the stands with three friends, his legs spread over the seat in front of him. He’s sat alone on the baseline for the majority of the season.
