NBA highlights on Jan. 8: NBA-best Bucks earn tough win over Warriors
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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks plays defense against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, January 8, 2020.

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks plays defense against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, January 8, 2020.

The Milwaukee Bucks own the best record in the NBA and coach Mike Budenholzer still wants far more than what he has seen the past two games.

More made shots. More pace. More energy. Better ball movement, too.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds while leading four Milwaukee starters in double figures, and the NBA-best Bucks held off the Golden State Warriors 107-98 on Wednesday night.

Milwaukee, with the NBA's best record at 33-6, bounced back with a hard-fought victory against the young Warriors after having its five-game winning streak snapped in a 126-104 loss at San Antonio on Monday.

Alec Burks scored 19 points and Glenn Robinson III and Damion Lee added 15 points apiece for the cold-shooting Warriors, who lost their sixth straight game and third in a row at home. 

Alec Burks #8 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, January 8, 2020.

Alec Burks #8 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, January 8, 2020.

Draymond Green was back for Golden State after sitting out Monday with a sprained right ankle and had five points on 1-for-7 shooting, eight rebounds and eight assists.

"Our pace was not great in the first half and it picked up in the second half," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I thought we were a little tentative in the first half. They're a great team, obviously the best team in the league and the best defense in the league."

The Bucks overcame a cold shooting performance of 40.2 percent to win their third straight game on Golden State's home floor, playing for the first time at new Chase Center on Wednesday.

Antetokounmpo notched his league-leading 32nd double-double after continuing to deal with a sore back. He shot 1 for 7 on 3-pointers and converted 9 of 13 free throws.

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, January 8, 2020.

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, January 8, 2020.

In another game, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics 129-114. The San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was understandably perturbed after the beer can sailed over the Spurs bench. Kemba Walker was ejected for back-to-back profanities. 

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points for San Antonio, which scored 22 of the game's first 25 points to drop the Celtics into their biggest hole of the season. Boston cut the deficit to 76-69 midway through the third, when Walker was knocked to the court on a hard pick by LaMarcus Aldridge. 

Walker rose from the court waving at the air, and approached referee Evan Scott. He got one technical and then - as Spurs guard Patty Mills tried to hold him back - got a second less than four seconds later. Stevens was also given a technical.

"In real time, it's a difficult play," crew chief Rodney Mott told a pool reporter. "But we did deem the screen to be legal, as LaMarcus was set."

Both technicals were for profanity, Mott said. It was Walker's first ejection in his nine-year career.

Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, January 8, 2020.

Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, January 8, 2020.

"I thought I was being nice," said Walker, a two-time winner of the NBA's Joe Dumars Award for sportsmanship. "I thought the ref missed the call. The rest is history."

The game was delayed briefly while the court was cleaned up and the public address announcer asked the fans not to throw things. Celtics spokesman Christian Megliola said the fan who threw the can was promptly located and arrested; their identity was not immediately available.

"We can't have that," Boston forward Gordon Hayward said. "I love our fans. I love our passion. But we've got to stay away from that."

The hubbub halted a 20-7 run that erased most of a 20-point deficit. Aldridge made two of the three technical foul shots and, when when he missed the third, Derrick White was fouled and made both free throws to give the Spurs an 80-69 lead.

San Antonio soon went on an 11-0 run, and the Celtics never got within single digits again.

DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates with LaMarcus Aldridge #12 and Dejounte Murray #5 during the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, January 08, 2020.

DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates with LaMarcus Aldridge #12 and Dejounte Murray #5 during the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, January 08, 2020.

"That can energize the crowd, or energize the team," DeRozan said. "We held on and did what we were supposed to do."

Lonnie Walker IV scored 19 points for the Spurs, who improved to 9-6 since December 1, when they had a 7-14 record. San Antonio avoided what would have been the first season sweep by the Celtics since 2011.

Source(s): AP