NBA

Milwaukee Bucks at Washington Wizards

· National Basketball Association
31-24, 12-15 Away
Final
104 - 101

9-46, 5-25 Home

Bucks overcome Antetokounmpo's foul trouble and hold on for a 104-101 victory over Wizards

Kyle Kuzma drops 19 points in his return to D.C.

Kuzma was traded from Washington to Milwaukee earlier this month. Khris Middleton went to the Wizards in that deal, and he finally played for his new team for the first time, scoring 12 points. Marcus Smart — acquired by Washington from Memphis — also made his Wizards debut and scored five.

The game came down to a desperation 3-point attempt by Middleton in the final seconds that missed badly.

Antetokounmpo scored 18 points in limited playing time before fouling out with 3:36 remaining. He picked up two early fouls in the first, and his fourth came with with 8:11 left in the third. Milwaukee left him in until he was whistled for foul No. 5 with 5:41 to go in the third.

That foul led to two Washington free throws that cut Milwaukee's lead to five. Antetokounmpo sat out for the next 11:59, and when he finally returned the lead was 11.

Rookie Alex Sarr scored a career-high 22 points for Washington.

Take aways Bucks: This was the Bucks' first game since losing Bobby Portis Jr. to a drug suspension. The Bucks were also without Damian Lillard (hamstring) and with Antetokounmpo in foul trouble, it wasn't a shock that this game was a struggle.

Wizards: NBA-worst Washington stayed competitive despite woeful shooting nights by Kyshawn George (1 of 11) and Jordan Poole (3 of 11).

Key moment With Milwaukee clinging to a one-point lead, Brook Lopez drew a foul call with 38.5 seconds left and made both free throws to make it 104-101.

Key stat Milwaukee outscored Washington 50-34 in the paint.

Up next Both teams are back in action Sunday. Milwaukee hosts Miami and the Wizards play at Orlando.

Regular Season Series

MIL wins series 3-0

Matchup Prediction

Wizards: 50.8%
Bucks: 49.2%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Recent Plays

4th 0.0 End of Game 104 - 101
4th 0.0 End of the 4th Quarter 104 - 101
4th 0.1 Gary Trent Jr. defensive rebound 104 - 101
4th 3.1 Khris Middleton misses 28-foot three point shot 104 - 101
4th 5.0 Wizards Full timeout 104 - 101

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/mil.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMIL https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/wsh.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originWSH
39-82 FG 35-87
47.6 Field Goal % 40.2
9-32 3PT 12-39
28.1 Three Point % 30.8
17-26 FT 19-27
65.4 Free Throw % 70.4
44 Rebounds 42
8 Offensive Rebounds 8
36 Defensive Rebounds 34
24 Assists 25
11 Steals 9
6 Blocks 4
16 Turnovers 14
1 Team Turnovers 0
17 Total Turnovers 14
0 Technical Fouls 0
0 Total Technical Fouls 0
0 Flagrant Fouls 0
10 Points Conceded Off Turnovers 16
17 Fast Break Points 10
50 Points in Paint 34
24 Fouls 21
15 Largest Lead 16

Game Information

Capital One Arena

Location: Washington, DC
Attendance: 18,865 · Capacity:

2024-25 Central Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Cleveland 48 10 .828 - W8
Indiana 33 24 .579 14.5 W1
Milwaukee 33 25 .569 15 W1
Detroit 33 26 .559 15.5 W8
Chicago 23 36 .390 25.5 L1

2024-25 Southeast Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Orlando 29 32 .475 - L2
Miami 27 30 .474 - W1
Atlanta 27 32 .458 1 L1
Charlotte 14 44 .241 13.5 L5
Washington 10 48 .172 17.5 L1
Full Standings

NBA News

How Darius Garland's 'pivotal' season is fueling the Cavaliers

How Darius Garland's 'pivotal' season is fueling the Cavaliers

Garland became the subject of trade rumors in the offseason after a broken jaw and death of his grandmother derailed his season.

NBA intel: Scouts, execs' report cards on Luka, Butler, Fox deals

NBA intel: Scouts, execs' report cards on Luka, Butler, Fox deals

Three weeks after trade season shook the league, NBA insiders are still buzzing about Doncic, Butler, Fox and more deals -- and what could be next for each star.

Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers headline BAL 2025 Kalahari Conference in Morocco

Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers headline BAL 2025 Kalahari Conference in Morocco

The new-look Basketball Africa League hosts Morocco will host the Kalahari Conference from April 5, and will feature Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers as well as home side FUS Rabat, while the tournament's fifth edition will see six debutant teams.

Basketball Africa League 2025 - News, dates, scores, everything you need to know about the BAL

Basketball Africa League 2025 - News, dates, scores, everything you need to know about the BAL

ESPN has everything you need to know about the NBA-affiliated Basketball Africa League (BAL) for 2025, from news to scores to interviews from players across the league.

Dallas takes home win streak into matchup with Milwaukee

Dallas takes home win streak into matchup with Milwaukee

Milwaukee Bucks (33-25, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (32-28, ninth in the Western Conference)