SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- When the Milwaukee Bucks departed last week for their longest trip of the season, they were still looking up at a playoff spot. Eleven days later, they are returning with their most victorious trip in nearly three decades.

They aren't looking up, either.

"We just need to keep playing hard, keep moving forward," forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "Every game is different, but there's no pressure on us. We're chasing."

Now, it may be a question of how high they can climb. Antetokounmpo scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half, and the Bucks moved into a tie for sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 116-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.

Milwaukee won for the 10th time in 12 games and completed its six-game trip with a 4-2 mark, the first time the Bucks won four games on a trip since January 1989.

"We really showed our maturity and our growth," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "It didn't start out well (with a 20-point loss at Memphis), but the guys stuck together. ... To start the trip in ninth (place) and end it in sixth just shows that we're playing good basketball at the right time."

Antetokounmpo made 12 of 22 shots overall, including 9 of 13 before intermission to lead Milwaukee (36-35) to a 69-50 halftime lead. The Kings closed the gap to 12 in the second half, but the Bucks never really were threatened in moving above .500 for the first time since Jan. 15.

Milwaukee also tied the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference and moved within a game of the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks lead ninth-place Detroit by two games.

"We're playing with intensity on both sides of the floor," Bucks forward Spencer Hawes said after scoring 10 points against his former team. "On defense, we're competing hard and trusting each other. Offensively, we're moving the ball in and out, making the extra pass."

It added up to about a quarter of competitive basketball before the Bucks pulled away. Milwaukee scored 44 points in the second quarter, their second-highest scoring frame of the season. Milwaukee canned 16 of 24 shots in the period and went 8-for-12 from beyond the 3-point arc. The 44 points were the most the Kings have given up in any quarter this season.

"We talked about the carryover from the Portland game," Kidd said of the Bucks' 93-90 win on Tuesday. "We talked about carrying over the defense from that game. And I thought our guys on defense set the tone right off the top, getting stops that turned into baskets."

Greg Monroe finished with 15 points off the bench, and the Bucks canned 16 3-pointers, the second-highest total of the season. Mirza Teletovic scored 13 points, and Khris Middleton also contributed 13 for the Bucks, who played without forward John Henson because of a left thumb sprain.

But Antetokounmpo made the whole thing run. He reached the 30-point total for the 16th time this season and seemed to ease his way to the basket and provide a perfectly placed jumper each time the Bucks' offense seemed to stall.

"He's a really good basketball player," Kings rookie forward Skal Labissiere said after spending most of the night matched up against him. "He can do a lot of different things from the perimeter. He's really fast. So it was a good learning experience."

Buddy Hield scored 21 points to pace the Kings (27-44), but Sacramento lost its third straight and fell to 3-11 since the All-Star break. The Kings reduced a 69-50 halftime deficit to 81-69 with two minutes left in the third quarter, but Milwaukee responded with a 16-8 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to pull away.

Reserve Tyreke Evans scored 18 points for Sacramento, Garrett Temple and Arron Afflalo added 12 each, and Willie Cauley-Stein and Darren Collison each had 10. Labissiere collected eight points and eight rebounds.

NOTES: Kings coach Dave Joerger said G Malachi Richardson continues to progress, but the rookie remained out with a torn right hamstring. Joerger indicated Richardson could play within a week. He hasn't played since the All-Star break. ... Bucks F Khris Middleton recorded his 13th straight game in double figures. He is shooting 52 percent and averaging 18 points in that stretch. ... Kings F Ben McLemore returned to the team after staying home during a three-game trip after the birth of his first child, daughter Teagan Joyce McLemore. He played 13 scoreless minutes Wednesday. ... Milwaukee completed its longest road trip of the season. The Bucks play eight of their final 10 games against Eastern Conference opponents, and five of their final 10 at home. ... Sacramento C Kosta Koufos and G Ty Lawson were both out for Sacramento because of a pre-planned rest.