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NBA: Rockets hold off Bucks despite Antetokounmpo's big night

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The Houston Rockets huddle up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 6, 2024 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Logan Riely, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/life/01/07/20240107-houston-rockets-afp.jpg"/><figcaption>The Houston Rockets huddle up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 6, 2024 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. <em>Logan Riely, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- Alperen Sengun scored 21 points to lead seven Houston players in double figures and the Rockets withstood a 48-point performance from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo in a 112-108 victory over the Bucks on Saturday.</p><p>Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo added 17 rebounds for a seventh straight double-double, but it wasn&#x27;t enough in a game that saw Houston take control early before fending off a fourth-quarter Bucks charge.</p><p>Sengun added 11 rebounds and four assists and Jeff Green and Jalen Green added 16 points apiece for the Rockets, who emerged from a tight first quarter with an 11-point lead that they pushed to 20 at halftime.</p><p>The Bucks trailed by as many as 18 early in the fourth quarter but cut the deficit to 110-105 on Antetokounmpo&#x27;s put-back basket with 7.9 seconds remaining.</p><p>Houston&#x27;s Fred VanVleet made a pair of free throws to finally put it out of reach.</p><p>HIGHLIGHTS:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-VyfdFaHcwo?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>&quot;We just relied on our defense,&quot; Jeff Green said. &quot;We&#x27;ve been in these situations plenty of times, we&#x27;ve relied on each other. We got the stops when we needed them and made big shots.&quot;</p><p>Antetokounmpo&#x27;s 18th career game of 45 or more points tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in Bucks franchise history.</p><div><strong>- Celtics cool off Pacers -</strong></div><p>In Indianapolis, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 69 points and the Boston Celtics again kept the potent Indiana Pacers offense in check in a 118-101 victory.</p><p>Tatum scored 38 points and Brown added 31 for the league-leading Celtics, who held the Pacers to a season-low in points as they snapped Indiana&#x27;s six-game winning streak.</p><p>Boston, who restricted the Pacers to their previous season low in points in their 155-104 win on November 1, were dialed in defensively, holding the Pacers to 17 points in the first quarter.</p><p>But the Celtics suffered an early blow when Kristaps Porzingis exited in the first quarter with an eye laceration and the Pacers clawed back.</p><p>HIGHLIGHTS:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0bTTXARc_20?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Aided by 18 Celtics turnovers -- 12 of them in the first half -- the Pacers chipped away at a 16-point deficit and trailed 58-49 at halftime.</p><p>Indiana, who eliminated the Celtics from the NBA in-season tournament in December, cut the deficit to 84-81 heading into the fourth, but the Celtics powered away in the final period.</p><p>Tatum made a season-high eight three-pointers -- half of the Celtics&#x27; 16. He added 13 rebounds and six assists.</p><p>&quot;We know they can put up 160,&quot; Tatum said. &quot;That&#x27;s one of the best offenses in the league. They play with pace. They share the ball. They can shoot, so you&#x27;ve got to be locked in when you come to Indiana.&quot;</p><p>Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 20 points off the bench. Tyrese Haliburton added 17 points and seven assists and came up with five steals.</p><p>Elsewhere, Julius Randle scored 39 points and Jalen Brunson added 33 to lead the New York Knicks to a fourth straight victory, a 121-105 rout of the Wizards in Washington.</p><p>The Knicks, coming off a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, led by as many as 26 in the wire-to-wire victory.</p><p>The Utah Jazz handed the short-handed 76ers a second straight defeat, 120-109 in Philadelphia.</p><p>The 76ers were without reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, who sat out with swelling in his left knee.</p><p>Philadelphia were also without injured Tobias Harris and De&#x27;Anthony Melton and ailing Robert Covington.</p><p>Lauri Markkanen scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Jazz.</p><p>Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 25 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 24 but Philadelphia fell to 2-6 without Embiid this season.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

The Houston Rockets withstood a 48-point performance from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo in a 112-108 victory over the Bucks.