Giannis Antetokounmpo had six dunks while scoring 36 points and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame Bogdan Bogdanovic’s 38 points to beat Atlanta 122-113 on Saturday night, ending the Hawks’ four-game winning streak.Charles Odum, The Associated Pressabout 2 hours ago

On Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Atlanta, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, center Brook Lopez (11), of the Milwaukee Bucks, collides with center Clint Capela (15) of the Atlanta Hawks. (Photo by Mike Stewart/AP)

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s four-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday night as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Hawks 122-113, led by 36 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo and 36 rebounds from Bogdan Bogdanovic.

With 21 points from Khris Middleton and 16 rebounds from Antetokounmpo, the Bucks ended a two-game losing run.

Damian Lillard, the point guard for Milwaukee, was held out for private reasons. Without Lillard, the Bucks had a 0–5 record this year. It is unknown if Lillard will be available for the Bucks’ Tuesday night game against Washington.

As the starting point guard substitute, Patrick Beverley, whose status had been in doubt because of an injured right wrist, scored eighteen points.

Before he was cleared for his wrist injury, Beverley claimed that Bucks coach Doc Rivers “was kind of hesitant” to give him the full starter’s share of minutes.

Beverley stated, “He wanted to protect me, as a coach should,” following his 36-minute stint, five assists, and zero turnovers.

Rivers expressed his satisfaction with Beverley and the other players’ ball movement.

Antetokounmpo led the team with eight assists and made 12 of 16 free throws.

We take him for granted, as I mentioned before, remarked Rivers. “I felt he played the cleanest game possible.”

In Atlanta’s 123-122 overtime victory over Boston on Thursday night, Dejounte Murray recorded a career-high 44 points. It was Atlanta’s second victory over the Celtics in four days. Murray also finished with 20 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds.

14 3-pointers were made by the Hawks, Bogdanovic scoring five of them.

Regarding the Hawks, Rivers stated, “I was really happy with the way we played overall because they came out and made 3s.”

Bogdanovic’s ten rebounds matched a career high. In the fourth quarter, he scored 17 points, and in the last minute, he made two 3-pointers.

Midway in the last quarter, De’Andre Hunter and Bogdanovic of Atlanta made back-to-back 3-pointers, cutting the Bucks’ lead to 94-89. Middleton and Brook Lopez promptly restored Milwaukee’s lead to double digits with three-pointers of their own.

Onyeka Okongwu (left big toe strain) and Jalen Johnson (right ankle) were out for the Hawks once more, which made the already challenging task of stopping Antetokounmpo much more harder.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder stated, “It really does take multiple players to limit his ability to get to the rim.”

This week, forward Saddiq Bey, who is also a regular in Atlanta’s lineup when healthy, underwent knee surgery that will terminate his season.

Trae Young, an All-Star point guard for Atlanta, has missed 18 straight games due to a finger injury. The Hawks, who trail No. 9 Chicago in the East by one game, will likely have two weeks to get their injured players back in the lineup before playing in the play-in round.

Before Milwaukee limited the Hawks to 45 points in the first half, the team had averaged 123.8 points in their previous four victories.

Bucks: Spend Tuesday evening in Washington.

Hawks: Monday night’s trip to Chicago could serve as a sneak peek of the play-in tournament’s first game.