Source: Jacob Kupferman / Getty
LaMelo Ball came within one point of his career high with 37 points, as the Milwaukee Bucks overcame an off night for Giannis Antetokounmpo to defeat the Hornets,130-99.
Damian Lillard led the Bucks with 27 points & Malik Beasley added 20, as Antetokounmpo battled foul trouble to contribute 16 points.
The loss for Charlotte spoiled the return of Miles Bridges, who made his first appearance for the Hornets since getting ejected in the 2022 Play-In Tournament loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Bridges, who sat out all last season amid domestic violence allegations, returned after serving the final ten games of his 30-game suspension to a mostly positive reception.
A mostly positive reception for Miles Bridges return to the floor. #Hornets pic.twitter.com/9MtNBjOZ51
— Will Palaszczuk (@WilliePStyle) November 18, 2023
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Bridges played an unexpectedly-high 33 minutes, scoring 17 points and grabbing five rebounds. Ball’s 37-point night supplanted his previous second-best scoring mark, also against the Bucks from the 2021-22 season.
The Hornets hit their high-water mark for an opening quarter, outscoring the Bucks 37-28 in the first period. Milwaukee then went on a 25-9 run to pull ahead, and save for a brief back-and-forth in the third quarter, held the advantage for most of the contest’s remainder.
Charlotte (3-8) fell to 1-2 in the NBA In-Season Tournament, with one more tournament game remaining in New York against the New York Knicks on November 28th. The Hornets try to avenge their last matchup with the Knicks on Saturday in the second night of a back-to-back for Charlotte. Coverage on Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ begins at 5 PM, with tip time at 6 PM Saturday.
