NBA highlights on Feb. 23: Bucks dampen Timberwolves' ambition

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-107 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday, ending the Western Conference leaders' four-game winning streak.

Giannis Antetokounmpo made the biggest contribution to the key victory for the Bucks, who had lost seven of their 10 games since Doc Rivers was announced as their head coach. It only took the "Greek Freak" 13 shots to drop 33 points in addition to the 15 rebounds that included four on the offensive glass. He went to the free throw line 21 times and made 14 of those shots.

Antetokounmpo's destructive power of charging the rim caused the Timberwolves more damage than just points. Two of the home team's most important defenders, Jaden McDaniels in the perimeter and Rudy Gobert in the interior, both committed five personal fouls, many of which happened when they tried to stop Antetokounmpo.

Fairly speaking, the Timberwolves are one of the league's few teams with good enough resources to guard against Antetokounmpo. However, the two-time NBA MVP did a great job of evading the opponents' main force and striking their weak points. He rarely attacked the paint from the front of the dribble. Instead, Antetokounmpo turned most of the Bucks' opportunities for early offense into easy buckets, scoring 12 of the team's fast-break 16 points.

Compared with their opponents, the Timberwolves only got seven points on the fast break. They are the fifth-slowest team in the NBA this season, so they understandably don't drive too much early offense. Nonetheless, they committed 11 of their 13 turnovers in the first (five) and third (six) quarters, being outscored by the opponents in both periods.

Though the Timberwolves began the fourth quarter with a 17-point deficit (87-70), they had the chance to come back as both Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns launched fierce rallies for their side in the final period. The two combined to contribute 22 points, cutting the gap to as close as three points (110-107) when there were 35 seconds left.

However, Damian Lillard stepped out and killed the suspense with a fadeaway jumper. It wasn't his orthodox way of finishing the game, but it sealed the deal for the Bucks. Lillard struggled to make shots in the first three quarters as he went 4-for-17 from the field, but he did a good orchestrating job with 10 assists and only two turnovers. In the final quarter, he knocked down four of his six field goals (FGs), making sure that the Bucks left Minnesota with a win.

Compared with the Bucks, who managed to move the ball in a patient, reasonable way to find open shots even in early offense, the Timberwolves were very sloppy with the ball in Friday's game, especially in Edwards. He made too many poor calls in passing the ball, taking shots and guarding his target. It's true that both he and the Timberwolves played surprisingly well this season, but they can't afford to swell with pride yet before making a real charge in the playoffs. After all, the team hasn't gone through the first round for as long as 19 seasons.

Other games on Friday (away teams come first):

Cleveland Cavaliers 97-104 Philadelphia 76ers

The Cavaliers lacked Donovan Mitchell, their most integral source of firepower, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Friday night. That explained why the whole team went as low as 42.5 percent in FGs and failed to surpass 25 points in any of the four quarters.

Nonetheless, the Cavaliers still gave the 76ers a gasp of horror at the end of the game. They trailed by as many as eight points (100-92) after their big men pair of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley both committed a turnover in the final minute. When most thought that the 76ers had the victory in their pocket with 31.3 seconds to go, Darius Garland drew a 3-point foul first and then made all three free throws to cut down the deficit quickly to five points. Then he intercepted the opponents' baseline pass and assisted Max Strus to make a layup. After this play, the Cavaliers trailed by only three points when there were 24.8 seconds to go in the game.

However, Garland missed a 3-pointer in their next drive. Tyrese Maxey converted all four free throws he got, giving the 76ers a home win.

Miami Heat 106-95 New Orleans Pelicans

The Heat put an end to the Pelicans' four-game winning streak at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday. Bam Adebayo scored 24 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Heat after shooting 11-for-18 from the field. Jimmy Butler missed four of his 12 free throws but still had 23 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals for the visiting team.

Butler could have gotten more numbers if there hadn't been the clash between the two sides in the fourth quarter. Zion Williamson of the Pelicans was put down by Kevin Love with a hard foul. His teammate Naji Marshall pushed both Love and Butler as a tit-for-tat move. An enraged Butler clashed with Marshall, but both were soon separated by their teammates.

At almost the same time, Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans and Thomas Bryant began to throw punches at each other. Several spectators tried to get involved. In the end, Marshall, Butler, Alvarado, Bryant and multiple fans were ejected from the game.

Toronto Raptors 123-121 Atlanta Hawks

Phoenix Suns 110-114 Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers 101-95 Memphis Grizzlies

Washington Wizards 106-147 Oklahoma City Thunder

Charlotte Hornets 84-97 Golden State Warriors

Denver Nuggets 127-112 Portland Trail Blazers

San Antonio Spurs 118-123 Los Angeles Lakers