ATLANTA (AP) — Paul Millsap scored 21 points, Mike Muscala added 16 and the Atlanta Hawks won their sixth straight game, a 107-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and Jabari Parker scored 15 of his 23 points in the third quarter for Milwaukee.
Muscala started in place of star center Dwight Howard, who was sidelined with a left quadriceps contusion. Atlanta improved to 6-1 at home and tied Cleveland for the best record in the Eastern Conference at 9-2.
The Bucks have lost three of four. They pulled within four points on Antetokounmpo's dunk with 37 seconds remaining, but Millsap hit a layup on the next possession to make it 104-98.
Milwaukee ended the first quarter with a 26-21 lead but missed their next 11 shots and didn't score until the 5:50 mark of the second. They were outscored 31-9 in the second and went 3 for 27 from the field.
Atlanta took its biggest lead at 24 points on Dennis Schroder's 3-pointer early in the third, but Milwaukee scored 35 points in the third quarter and pulled within six with 9:06 remaining on Mirza Teletovic's third 3 of the period.
Antetokounmpo's layup cut the lead to three a couple of possessions later at the 6:24 mark. That was as close as the Bucks could get.
The Hawks improved to 8-1 when leading after three quarters.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 13 points for Atlanta. Schroder and Kent Bazemore scored 12 each.
NEED THE REST
Howard was injured in the third quarter Tuesday at Miami, banging knees with Heat center Hassan Whiteside. He did not return and was unable to watch Wednesday's game from the bench.
Howard, the active career NBA leader in double-doubles, is averaging 14.8 points and 12.3 rebounds. The eight-time All-Star in his first season with Atlanta.
Reserve forward Thabo Sefolosha, the team's best defender, did not play because of a strained right hamstring.
SHOWING POTENTIAL
During a 6-minute stretch of Atlanta's 19-0 run in the second, rookie forward Taurean Prince was the catalyst. He blocked two shots, drew a foul, made two free throws, had three rebounds, a steal and a hard baseline dunk.
Prince, the NBA's No. 12 overall draft pick out of Baylor, finished with eight points and five rebounds in a career-high 19 minutes.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Visit Miami on Thursday.
Hawks: Visit Charlotte on Friday.
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