National Basketball Association
Milwaukee 112, Charlotte 102
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Officials: #29 Mark Lindsay, #34 Kevin Cutler, #88 Matt Kallio
Attendance: 14385

Damian Lillard poured in 29 points and Bobby Portis racked up 23 as the visiting Milwaukee Bucks halted a four-game losing streak by drilling the Charlotte Hornets 112-102 on Wednesday night.

Brook Lopez provided 14 points, Gary Trent Jr. came off the bench for 13 points and Taurean Prince had 11 points for the Bucks, who built an early double-digit lead.

Neither Lillard, Portis nor Lopez played in Monday night's loss at Oklahoma City, so they looked fresh in this game. Lopez drained four of the team's 18 baskets from 3-point range.

The Bucks, who shot 50.6 percent from the field, played again without star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, their leading scorer (31.8 points per game) and rebounder (12.2). They didn't seem hampered, however, because of energy brought by players who were in the lineup.

The Hornets suffered their sixth consecutive loss despite 23 points from Nick Smith Jr. Miles Bridges and KJ Simpson each scored 15 points, while Moussa Diabate, who hauled in 13 rebounds, and Tidjane Salaun supplied 10 points apiece.

Charlotte, which connected on 43.2 percent of its shots from the floor, has won only once in the first eight games of a nine-game homestand.

Lillard, who shot 9-for-18 from the field with three 3-point baskets, also distributed 12 assists. Portis, who made 10 of his 21 shots, grabbed 17 rebounds for his third-highest total of the season in that category.

The Bucks opened with a 38-point first quarter and that set the tone. Their lead was 66-56 at halftime as they were on the way to snapping their largest skid since the first month of the season.

The Hornets were within 86-77 when the fourth quarter began, but Milwaukee's lead reached 21 points when AJ Green sank a 3-point shot with about 5 1/2 minutes remaining.

While Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who has been out for more than a week with an ankle injury, has returned to some on-court activity, he sat out Wednesday's game.

Smith made four 3-point shots, but Charlotte was 32.4 percent (11-for-34) from beyond the arc.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Milwaukee   Charlotte
Damian Lillard 29 Scoring Nick Smith Jr. 23
Damian Lillard 12 Assists Miles Bridges 6
Bobby Portis 17 Rebounds Moussa Diabate 13
Damian Lillard 8 Free Throws Made Moussa Diabate 6
Damian Lillard 2 Steals DaQuan Jeffries 1
Bobby Portis 3 Blocks Tidjane Salaun 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Milwaukee 112 50.6 18-42 12-13 26 44 4 6 11
Charlotte 102 43.2 11-34 15-20 21 41 1 4 8
Upcoming Games
  • Charlotte will play their next game at home against San Antonio. The Hornets have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .250 after a loss.
  • Milwaukee will play their next game on the road against Atlanta. The Bucks have a W/L % of .615 after a win and .478 after a loss.