The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 126-123 at Fiserv Forum on Saturday, ending their two-game losing streak.

Kyrie Irving went 14-26 in field goals (FGs) and 8-9 in free throws to drop a season-high 38 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. He had double-digit points in both the second (10) and fourth quarters (12). Moreover, in Q3, during which the Nets dominated the floor 43-34, Irving got nine points and four assists, leading his team to shoot 8-for-10 from downtown.

Irving's last appearance at Fiserv Forum was in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. He sprained his right ankle in that game, which was partly why the Bucks managed to come back from a 2-0 deficit.

"It was definitely emotional for me to prepare for this game just because of (that)," Irving said. "I haven't been back in the building since then. I try my best not to wear my emotions on my face or on my shoulders, but sometimes they can get the best of me. It definitely felt like there was a weight lifted just being back here, being healthy, getting the win, knowing that there's a possibility we could see them down the line again."

The two new guys the Nets acquired in the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade – Seth Curry and Andre Drummond – both made key contributions to the team's victory on Saturday night. Curry scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter after draining three shots behind the arc. Drummond got a double-double of 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. His hands-off plays with Curry worked surprisingly well in Q3.

The Bucks watched their "Big Three" – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday – combine for 73 points, 22 rebounds and 20 assists. Meanwhile, Bobby Portis made a career-high eight 3-pointers to get 30 points and 12 rebounds for the team. Such an overwhelming performance by the Bucks' starting lineup was in stark contrast to the disappointing game by their bench unit. Only Serge Ibaka and Wesley Matthews scored off the bench for a combined 13 points.

The Bucks' 14 turnovers and poor free throw shooting were the other two reasons that cost them the home game on Saturday. The score difference was never bigger than three in the last three minutes of Q4 but the Bucks missed as many as four free throws in this period. The whole team went 25-for-38 at the free throw line. If they had shot a little better than that, they would have not lost by three points in the end.

Ja Morant takes Grizzlies to victory with career-high 46 points

The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Chicago Bulls 116-110 at United Center on Saturday, keeping the opponents from reaching 40 wins.

Third-year guard Ja Morant shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and knocked down 13 of his 15 free throw attempts for a regular season career-high of 46 points for the Grizzlies. He already had six games with 40+ points, more than anyone else in franchise history.

The Bulls played highlights of Michael Jordan on the video board during the game and that might have motivated Morant to show home fans something special.

"I did watch it," Morant said. "And then, I did start scoring a lot. It probably played a part in it."

"I've seen too many of them. Kinda boring now. He's such an amazing player," Steven Adams said of Morant's performance. The veteran big man had a 12-point, 21-rebound double-double, including eight rebounds on the offensive glass.

The Bulls had to wait for their 40th win, and watched Demar DeRozan's streak of games with 35+ points and 50 percent shooting stop at eight. He still scored 31 points after missing 13 of his 18 mid-range jumpers. His last play at 0:07 ended with a steal by Kyle Anderson under the rim. DeRozan was not happy at the no-call, but his reaction led to the second technical foul and ejection.

"As remarkable as he has been, he did not have a great shooting night," Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said. "I thought early in the game, he got fouled really, really quite a bit, and he should have been to the foul line. I have not watched the film. That's just going from my eyes watching the game on some downhill plays. Who knows what the game's like for him if he gets four quick free throws or some of those plays are called differently."

After Saturday's game, the Bulls are one game behind the leading Miami Heat in the East while the Grizzlies (No. 3) follow the Golden State Warriors (No. 2) by two games in the West.

Other games on Saturday (away teams come first):

Boston Celtics 113-104 Detroit Pistons

Toronto Raptors 100-127 Atlanta Hawks

Washington Wizards 86-92 Cleveland Cavaliers

San Antonio Spurs 129-133 Miami Heat

Sacramento Kings 110-115 Denver Nuggets