MILWAUKEE — Khris Middleton scored 27 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Washington Wizards, 99-92, on Thursday night.
Middleton scored 14 points in the final quarter, giving the Wizards trouble off the dribble and from the perimeter.
Washington got within three points when John Wall made a long 3-pointer from the wing with 1:15 left, but Middleton answered again, hitting a jumper in the lane on the next possession before setting up a drive-and-dish to Greg Monroe that gave the Bucks a 97-90 lead with 15 seconds left.
Middleton tied a season high with nine assists.
Bradley Beal scored 19 points for the Wizards, and Wall had 15 points and 10 assists.
The Wizards go into the all-star break 3-7 in their last 10 games.
Sparked by better defense, the Wizards rallied from an 11-point deficit late in the second quarter to turn it into a tight contest after halftime.
Milwaukee used a 25-5 surge in an eight-minute span to help build a 55-44 lead with 45 seconds left in the second quarter. Jabari Parker scored 12 points during that quarter, when the Bucks made their run using primarily a three-guard lineup that attacked with the ball.
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