NBA: Reserves power 76ers to one-sided win over Bucks

Quentin Grimes scored 22 points and Paul George added 20 to lead the visiting Philadelphia 76ers to a 116-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

It was an unusual scoring night for Philadelphia, with Tyrese Maxey contributing just 12 points while the bench unit stepped up with a combined 61. Maxey’s previous season-low was 20 points.

For Milwaukee, Bobby Portis led the way with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, while Myles Turner contributed 19 points. The Bucks were hampered in the second half when sharpshooter AJ Green was sidelined with a left shoulder contusion sustained in the second quarter, finishing scoreless on four shots in 15 minutes.

Philadelphia set the tone early, shooting 60% in the first quarter to take a 33-20 lead. The 76ers kept up the momentum from beyond the arc, hitting six of 13 three-pointers in the second quarter, including three from Jabari Walker, to head into halftime ahead 69-49. Walker led all scorers at the break with 16 points, while Portis paced Milwaukee with 13.

Milwaukee rallied in the second half, cutting the deficit to 16 entering the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 26. Porter, Turner, and Kyle Kuzma combined for 26 of the Bucks’ 28 third-quarter points, and Milwaukee attempted 15 free throws in the period after just five in the first half.

The Bucks carried their momentum into the fourth, briefly cutting Philadelphia’s lead to single digits with 4:17 remaining after the 76ers missed their first six three-point attempts of the quarter. VJ Edgecombe then sank a decisive three-pointer to put Philadelphia ahead 108-94 with 2:34 to play.

Philadelphia improved to 2-0 against Milwaukee this season, with both games played in Milwaukee. The 76ers’ recent overtime win on Nov. 20 ended the Bucks’ eight-game winning streak in the series. -Field Level Media/Reuters Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images