MILWAUKEE -- With their superstar-in-the-making, Giannis Antetokounmpo out with illness, the Milwaukee Bucks needed somebody to step up and pick up the slack Sunday afternoon against Washington.

And while Jabari Parker scored 28 points and Malcolm Brogdon set a career-high with 22, a lackluster third quarter doomed the Bucks, who dropped a 107-101 decision to the Washington Wizards at the Bradley Center.

"They did a really good job of responding without Giannis," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "They played well, they played hard enough to win. Coaching, I have to do a better job."

Milwaukee shot 46.3 percent and made 9 of 23 3-pointers but hit just 7 of 19 shots in the third, including an 0-for-4 mark from beyond the arc, and in the process saw an eight-point halftime lead turn into a four-point deficit to start the fourth. The Bucks recovered slightly in the final quarter but it was too little, too late as the Wizards got a combined 14 down the stretch from John Wall and Bradley Beal with six more from Markieff Morris to snuff out any chance of a comeback.

"Give them credit," said Wall, who finished with 16 points. "They came out with more intensity. We were into the game until we had four turnovers in a row in the first quarter and they hit like seven 3's in the first half, and they were to guys we wanted to give up shots to. They made some shots. Jabari and those guys continued making them. We just came out and didn't turn the ball over as much in the second half."

Bad third quarters have been a problem all season for the Bucks, who dropped their second in a row.

"Our third quarters have been terrible," said Bucks guard Jason Terry. "We've been coming out with a lack of energy and a lack of focus. Sometimes, you're going to lose games at the end. But you can lose them at any other point in the game."

Kidd, though, deflected blame from his players, saying all responsibility for the loss laid squarely at his feet.

"I have to do a better job," Kidd said. "We just weren't prepared, we weren't ready this afternoon."

The coach's terse comments applied, too, to the performances of Parker and Brogdon.

"He was unbelievable, he was great tonight;" Kidd said when asked about each player.

Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee's leader in every major statistical category, was a late scratch due to illness so Mirza Teletovic got the start in his place while Michael Beasley and Terry also saw extended action.

Beasley got Milwaukee (18-18) off to a good start, scoring 10 on 3-of-4 shooting with a 3-pointer in the first quarter as the Bucks took a 31-24 lead. He suffered a left shin contusion in the third quarter and did not return, finishing the day with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

Beal and Morris scored seven each in the second, but the Wizards struggled to shoot (44.4 percent) and allowed 16 points on 12 turnovers, leading to a 57-49 deficit at halftime.

They opened the second half with a 15-6 run and took a 64-63 lead on Kelly Oubre's dunk with 6:39 left in the third.

Milwaukee only committed three turnovers in the quarter but made just seven of 19 shots and started the fourth down, 82-78.

Brogdon scored 14 in the final quarter as the Bucks got within three in the final minute but a Porter layup with 37.9 seconds left put Washington up five.

"We gave them everything they wanted in the first half," Washington coach Scott Brooks said. "They didn't have Giannis and we kind of relaxed. You can't do that ... I thought in the second half, we just played better, committed more to each other, were active and didn't give up a lot of points off of our turnovers."

NOTES: After missing five games with a sore right hamstring, G Matthew Dellavedova returned for the Bucks. Malcolm Brogdon, who moved into the starting lineup when Dellavedova was injured, remained with the starting group while Dellavedova came off the bench. ... Washington G Bradley Beal has hit at least one 3-pointer in 25 consecutive games, the longest streak of his career and the third-longest active streak in the NBA. ... Washington has now rallied to win eight times after trailing by double-figures this season. ... The Wizards won three of their four meetings with Milwaukee this season and have now won the last five season series against the Bucks.